The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7279 p806
13 December 2003

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New agent provides novel approach for heart failure therapy

Tolvaptan, an oral vasopressin-2 antagonist, may provide a new approach to treating heart failure.

Results of a phase II trial involving 320 patients show that, compared with placebo, greater reductions in body weight were seen in hospital in-patients with heart failure given tolvaptan.

Although the study was not designed to find differences in mortality, a post-hoc analysis found that all-cause mortality was lower in the tolvaptan group (5.4 per cent compared with 8.7 per cent). This is now being assessed in a larger study called the EVEREST trial (effects of vasopressin antagonists in heart failure: outcome study with tolvaptan).

Study author Dr Mihai Gheorghiade, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg school of medicine, commented: “Until now, we had nothing to block vasopression. Now we have an agent that appears promising and safe.”
The results were presented at the American Heart Association conference in Orlando, Florida, in November.

The Journal’s attendance at the AHA conference was made possible by Pfizer

Coverage of the conference is available on the Reports page