AstraZeneca's Atacand "complements ACEs"

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca has welcomed strong data on its cardiovascular drug Atacand (candesartan cilexetil), as part of a supplemental analysis of the CHARM study (Candesartan in Heart failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity) published in the May issue of the American Heart Journal.

The firm stated that this analysis provides evidence that Atacand's benefits in reducing the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalizations in patients with symptomatic heart failure, and reduced heart pump function, were not modified by baseline dose of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, beta-blocker use at baseline, or ACE inhibitor dose during the trial. AstraZeneca pointed out that the agent is the only angiotensin II receptor blocker indicated to provide these clinical benefits for heart failure patients already receiving adequate doses of an ACE inhibitor. The analysis also supports the concept that ACE inhibitors and Atacand ARB therapy can complement each other in patients with heart failure, the company stated.