UPDATE 1-Avapro blood pressure drug fails heart failure trial

NEW ORLEANS, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The blood pressure medicine Avapro, sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Sanofi-Aventis, was no better than usual care in treating a type of heart failure that primarily affects women and the elderly, according to results of a large study.

Researchers had hoped to show that Avapro could reduce incidence of death and serious heart problems better than medicines currently used in this patient population that only treat symptoms of the disease.

There was a small advantage with Avapro in the study's composite goal of reducing death from any cause, heart attacks, strokes and hospitalizations for heart failure, unstable angina or arrhythmia compared with usual care, but it was not statistically significant, researchers said.

"We were particularly disappointed because we still have large numbers of patients that still don't have a good treatment," said Dr. Barry Massie, who presented the data at the American Heart Association scientific meeting here on Tuesday. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson, editing by Dave Zimmerman)