FDA approves Ranexa as angina drug

California, USA-based molecular cardiology specialists CV Therapeutics says the Food and Drug Administration has approved its drug Ranexa (ranolazine extended-release tablets) for the treatment of chronic angina. The decision is based on data from the combination assessment of ranolazine in stable angina study (CARISA) and the efficacy of Ranolazine in chronic angina (ERICA) trial.

During the CARISA program, 823 patients were randomly assigned a 12-week course of Ranexa or atenolol, with the data indicating that patients showed the same improvement in a standardized walking assessment achieved using other currently-available treatments.

The ERICA study enrolled 565 patients who were experiencing around 4.5 attacks per week. The researchers found that Ranexa treatment reduced the number of attacks by one per week when compared with placebo.