ROXIS - More Support For Antibiotics In Heart Disease

There has been further support for the potential role of antichlamydialantibiotics in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease. The latest study, reported in The Lancet (August 9), has found that patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction who were treated with roxithromycin (from Hoechst Marion Roussel) had a lower rate of severe recurrent ischemia, myocardial infarction and ischemic death than those who were given placebo.

A total of 202 patients were enrolled into the study and randomized to receive either roxithromycin 150mg twice-daily or placebo for 30 days. Patients were followed up at six months. The data reported in The Lancet are preliminary and look at the rate of events during the treatment phase of the study (31 days). The Lancet fast-tracked publication of the study in four weeks.

A statistically-significant reduction in the primary composite triple endpoint rates was observed in the roxithromycin group compared to placebo; p=0?032. The rates of severe recurrent ischemia, myocardial infarction, and ischemic death were 5?4%, 2?2%, and 2?2% respectively in the placebo group and 1?1%, 0%, and 0%, in the roxithromycin group. No major drug-related adverse effects were observed.