• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Novartis drug Diovan cuts heart-damaging protein

Posted on: Friday, 19 May 2006, 01:07 CDT

ZURICH (Reuters) - A study released by Swiss drug giant Novartis shows that its big-selling blood-pressure pill Diovan also reduces a potentially damaging protein produced during heart attacks and traumatic accidents.

Diovan, one of the biggest-selling hypertension treatments worldwide, cuts so-called C reactive proteins (CRP), inflammation-causing substances produced in large amounts in the body after a heart attack.

The new findings, released on Friday, come from the largest clinical trial to date conducted in a range of moderate to severe high blood pressure patients to investigate whether a blood pressure medication can also lower CRP.

The study showed that Diovan not only lowers blood pressure effectively but also cuts CRP.

Heart attacks are a leading cause of death in developed countries. Patients often survive an attack but if there is extensive damage they are more likely to suffer heart failure.

Everyone has CRP but it is normally at low levels. When a person has a heart attack there is a dramatic rise in the protein. The more CRP, the poorer the prognosis.

CRP levels also rise sharply during trauma, strokes, infection and chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Up to now, cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins were among the few treatments known to lower damaging CRP.

Novartis will release further study details at an American Society of Hypertension (ASH) meeting in New York later on Friday.

Source: REUTERS

More News in this Category