Pfizer Ccb Norvasc Demonstrates 31 Percent Reduction In Cardiovascular Events, New Study Shows
November 12, 1998 11:03 AM
MONTREAL, Nov. 12 /CNW/ - Patients with coronary artery disease
taking the Pfizer calcium channel blocker Norvasc (amlodipine besylate)
had 31 percent fewer cardiovascular events than patients treated with
placebo, according to results from the 825-patient Prospective
Randomized Evaluation of the Vascular Effects of Norvasc Trial
(PREVENT).
Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality events include heart attacks,
strokes, deaths, angioplasty, bypass surgery, hospitalizations for severe
angina and heart failure. The reduction for angioplasty and bypass
surgery was 46 percent, and the patients treated with Norvasc also had
35 percent fewer hospitalizations for severe chest pain.
''This is an unexpected, highly favourable result that is in keeping with
our favourable experience with this drug,'' said John Mancini, M. D.,
Professor and head of the Department of Medicine at the University of
British Columbia and the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre
who directed the primary analyses for the PREVENT trial.
''The major importance of PREVENT is that the drug amlodipine showed
dramatic effect for reducing hospitalizations for angina, angioplasty and
bypass surgery in patients with coronary disease.''
''A reduction in the rate of onset of angina and coronary revascularization
was observed with amlodipine in all subgroups, including patients taking
and not taking beta-blockers. Furthermore, the PREVENT study shows
that compliance is excellent with amlodipine (81%) over three years,''
stated Dr. Normand Racine, head of the CHUM cardiology unit.
The PREVENT trial, which was presented yesterday at the American
Heart Association meeting, enrolled patients who had coronary artery
disease at the start of the trial and were treated with standard
medications for their cardiovascular conditions as necessary. In addition,
half the patients received Norvasc, a long-acting calcium channel blocker
characterized by a gradual onset of action and a long half-life.
In PREVENT, angiographic analysis of coronary arteries in Norvasc
patients, the primary endpoint of the study, showed no discernable
difference in the progression of atherosclerosis compared to placebo
patients. However, researchers observed a significant reduction in plaque
build-up in the carotid (the major artery found in the neck that supplies
the brain) in Norvasc patients compared with placebo. This evaluation
used imaging technology known as ultrasound while the coronary artery
measurement was based on angiography. Researchers believe that
ultrasound technology is much more sensitive in measuring plaque
progression or reduction.
High blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol are risk factors
associated with the development of atherosclerosis that affects the
coronary and carotid arteries. The next sentence is new.Cardiovascular
disease claims the lives of approximately 79,000 Canadians annually and
is the leading cause of death in Canada.
''PREVENT is the latest in a series of major clinical trials supporting the
value of Norvasc, an innovative medicine that has had more than 8 billion
patient days of therapy worldwide since its introduction,'' said Bernard
Prigent, M.D., senior associate medical at Pfizer Canada Inc.
''PREVENT gives us important information about Norvasc and coronary
artery disease.''
Norvasc, the world's most prescribed branded agent for hypertension and
angina, has been studied in more that 190 clinical trials
worldwideNorvasc is also being studied in the ongoing 43,000-patient
National Institutes of Health ALLHAT trial, which is the largest study ever
undertaken in hypertension.
Pfizer is a global health care company dedicated to research and
development of medicine to treat unmet medical needs. It had sales of
about US $125 billion for 1997 and this year expects to invest about US
$2.3 billion in research and development. Global headquarters are in New
York city where the company was founded in 1849. Pfizer Canada Inc.
employs more than 1,000 persons across Canada and is headquartered
in Kirkland, Quebec.
For further information: For interview: Johanne Denault, GPC Concordia,
Montreal, (514) 288-1808, Michele Carroll, GPC Communications,
Toronto, (416) 598-0055, Lori Pike, GPC Communications, Vancouver,
(604) 688-2505 or Don Sancton, Associate Director, Corporate Affairs,
Pfizer Inc., (514) 426-7063
10:49 ET
CNW 10:48E 12-NOV-98 |
