Novartis’s anti-hypertensive Diovan has cardiac treatment potential: Study

EHM News Bureau - Mumbai

Swiss pharma major Novartis’s blockbuster high blood pressure drug Diovan (Valsartan),has the potential of a first-line therapy for reducing cardiac events following a heart attack, according to a study announced this year at the American Heart Association Scientific Session and also published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The company’s Indian arm claimed that the study christened VALIANT (VALsartan In acute myocardial iNfarcTion), the largest long-term study ever conducted in people who have survived a heart attack, suggested that the critical new data helps establish Diovan as a highly desirable and powerful first-line option for an increasingly wide patient population.

VALIANT demonstrated that Diovan has all the established life-saving benefits of Captopril in heart attack patients and was at least as effective as the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in reducing cardiac events following a heart attack, including repeat heart attacks and hospitalisation for heart failure, Novartis said.

Diovan is the only cardiovascular agent ever demonstrated by a ‘head-to-head trial’ to have all of the proven benefits of an ACE inhibitor in patients following a heart attack. No added benefits were seen with the combination treatment, the company said.

The study suggests that Diovan is well - tolerated in post heart attack patients.

Dr K G Nair, cardiologist and academician associated with Breach candy, KEM, Hinduja and Jaslok Hospital said “ Valsartan is well designed and is also known to protect the linings of the arteries, also it does not interfere much with metabolism and is very useful for diabetics as it protects the kidney from damage.”

Adding to these points was Dr Jamshed Dalal, consultant honorary cardiologist at Breach Candy, Hinduja and Lilavati hospital. He said “Diovan is the first proven drug for myocardial infarction. As a matter of caution, this drug is advised to be given in combination with other drugs and should not form a solitary dosage.”

Stressing on this aspect, Dr Nair said “It is not advisable to give this drug to someone with a high level of potassium.” Novartis India Ltd CEO Anil Matai informed that the drug was launched in July this year, and has a 60 per cent market share in the country.

Novartis is the second entrant after Ranbaxy for a valsartan drug. The other companies that have a generic of this product are Lupin and Torrent. Matai said that as of now, the distribution is being done selectively and Novartis has not explored the option of co-promoting Diovan.