New Studies At European Cardiology Meeting

A number of new studies were highlighted at this year's European Societyof Cardiology meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, and offered new insights into the pharmacological treatment of arrhythmias, stroke and myocardial infarction.

One drug which has been long-anticipated as an important new intervention in arrhythmia is Pfizer's dofetilide. At the ESC meeting, the results of the DIAMOND CHF study showed that dofetilide is safe in patients with severe congestive heart failure, in contrast to prior clinical trials of other antiarrhythmic agents.

The 1,500-patient study found no difference between the mortality rates with dofetilide or placebo. A spokesman for Pfizer told the Marketletter that this trial has confirmed the safety of dofetilide in patients with severe forms of CHF, who are at high risk of sudden death.