FDA Grants Amgen Priority Review Designation For Ivabradine For The Treatment Of Chronic Heart Failure

Amgen announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review designation for ivabradine for the treatment of chronic heart failure (HF). Ivabradine is an oral drug that inhibits the I_f current ("funny" current) in the sinoatrial node, the body's cardiac pacemaker.  Ivabradine works to slow the heart rate without negative effects on myocardial contractility or ventricular repolarization.  Heart failure is a common condition that affects approximately 26 million worldwide, including approximately 5.1 million people in the U.S. 

FDA Grants Amgen Priority Review Designation For Ivabradine For The Treatment Of Chronic Heart Failure

Ivabradine could save thousands of heart failure patients

In continuation of my update on Ivabradine

Ivabradine could save thousands of heart failure patients: Researchers behind a major trial of Procoralan believe the pill could save 10,000 lives a year in Britain alone. Ivabradine works by slowing the beating of the heart, helping it to pump blood more efficiently.

Ivabradine also effective in reducing the risk of diastolic heart failure..

Researchers from the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) have come up with the new findings about the drug,  ivabradine (see structure). Researchers claim that,  a heart rate reduction medication, is also effective in reducing the risk of diastolic heart failure (left ventricular insufficiency) and cardiac fibrosis.

As per the claim by the researchers Ivabradine, reduces Diastolic Dysfunction and Cardiac Fibrosis. The study was conducted on rabbits given a standard diet, a cholesterol-enriched diet or a cholesterol-enriched diet with ivabradine. Researchers found  that apart from improving the myocardial performance index, ivabradine greatly improved left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in animals receiving a cholesterol-enriched diet. Ivabradine also reduced fibrosis of the heart chambers adds the researchers.

According to Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the MHI Research Centre and professor of medicine at the Universit- de Montr-al, 

"The effectiveness of ivabradine in treating angina pectoris is now well known. However, few treatments are available to patients with diastolic heart failure. The beneficial effects of ivabradine demonstrated in laboratory suggest that this course of treatment should be further investigated." Clinical studies with subjects are expected to follow..........

http://www.icm-mhi.org/files//pdf/Communique-EN-2011/press_release_Ivabradine.pdf