Cardiome seeks partner to further vernakalant

Canadian drug developer Cardiome Pharma has reported positive interim clinical results from a 90-day Phase IIb study of its heart drug vernakalant. The analysis demonstrated statistically-significant efficacy for the patient group receiving 500mg of the drug, which is being developed for conversion of atrial fibrillation.

A Kaplan-Meier analysis of the 446 patients included in the interim dataset showed that median time-to-recurrence of atrial fibrillation was greater than 90 days for those on 500mg compared to 39 days for the placebo group. 52% of patients in this cohort (n=110) completed the study in normal heart rhythm compared to 39% of subjects receiving placebo (n=118). However, the interim efficacy analysis for the 150mg (n=110) and 300mg (n=108) dosing groups had not achieved statistical significance at the interim timepoint, the firm noted.

Company seeking "strategic alternatives"