While it may seem like there are new drugs coming on the market all of the time, that is not the case with the class of drugs for the treatment of heart failure. In fact, the last time the FDA approved a heart failure drug was in 2005. However, cardiologists now have a new reason to get excited about the treatment of heart failure patients with the FDA-approval of LCZ696, also known as Entresto, last month.
After disappointing results from previous drugs in development, Entresto demonstrated reduced heart failure deaths and reduced hospitalizations due to heart failure in the trial PARADIGM-HF, the largest trial to date of heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular function. Oklahoma Heart Institute was one of the first sites for this study.
The study randomized more than 8,000 patients – 4,187 of whom took 200mg of Entresto twice a day; 4,212 took 10mg of enalapril twice a day. Patients taking Entresto were 21 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, as well as less likely to report heart failure symptoms.
A leading cause of disability in the U.S., heart failure has a dramatic impact on quality of life. “The doctors of Oklahoma Heart Institute are excited about this new drug, which has been shown to provide a mortality benefit, as well as a reduction in heart failure hospital admissions, compared to the current standard of care for patients with heart failure from reduced heart function,” adds Oklahoma Heart Institute Director of Cardiac and Interventional Laboratories and Chief of Cardiology Dr. Wayne Leimbach.