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)