New Cardiovascular Drugs Reviewed

At the end of last week and too late for inclusion in this issue of the Marketletter, the US Food and Drug Administration's Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee were to review applications for two cardiovascular drugs, SmithKline Beecham's Coreg (carvedilol) and Boehringer Mannheim's reteplase.

On May 2, SB was to seek approval to extend carvedilol's indications to include use in congestive heart failure and for the control of heart rate during periods of ventricular rate in atrial fibrillation. The drug is already approved for the treatment of hypertension.

On May 3, Boehringer was to apply for approval of reteplase for the management of acute myocardial infarction in adults, the dissolution of blood clots obstructing coronary arteries, improvement of ventricular function following AMI, reduction of the incidence of CHF, and the reduction of mortality associated with AMI.