TMC's Cleviprex impresses in ECLIPSE trials

USA-based The Medicines Company, a developer of products for the acute hospital care market, says that data from trials of its investigational antihypertensive Cleviprex (clevidipine), indicate that the drug brought about tight blood pressure control in patients during or after surgery. The results, which were presented at the 56th annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology, held in New Orleans, are from the ECLIPSE trials that compared Cleviprex with currently available intravenous hypertension treatments.

In total, the ECLIPSE program enrolled 1,964 cardiac surgery patients, who were randomized into one of three separate studies. Investigators compared the drug with nitroglycerin, sodium nitroprusside or nicardipine by taking baseline readings prior to surgery, and then allowing each treatment to be administered at the surgeon in question's discretion if blood pressure became to0 high.

Data showed that, in a pooled analysis of patients in the widest acceptable BP range group, Cleviprex resulted in approximately half the BP excursions (the time systolic BP remained outside the predefined perioperative limits) when compared with the other agents (3.8mm versus 7.8mm Hg x min/h). In addition, results for the narrowest BP range also favored the drug (87.7mm vs 111.5mm Hg x min/h).