New heart disease drug in phase III trials actually causes heart disease

New Drug Fails In Mission, Promotes Disease Instead

November 15, 2005 12:30 p.m. EST

Ayinde O. Chase - All Headline News Staff Writer

Cleveland, OH (AHN) - Research spearheaded by Steven E. Nissen, M.D., Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Coordinating Center at The Cleveland Clinic, has discovered that a new generation of drugs, intended to inhibit the buildup of plaque in arteries, is ineffective.

Pactimibe, the first ACAT inhibitor or plaque-deterring drug to reach phase III trials, was found not only to be ineffective in reducing the progression of coronary artery disease, but also in some cases to even promote it.

Researchers had hoped this drug would signal a new era in treating coronary artery disease since the introduction of statins, a class of drugs that blocks the production of cholesterol in the liver.

"While the results are disappointing, we did come away with several important conclusions," Dr. Nissen said. "A number of drugs in this class are under development and while they are promising, in this study Pactimibe didn't work. It is better to know now that researchers need to reexamine the safety profile of this class of drugs and perhaps even redirect their strategies."

Coronary artery disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Since the introduction of statins in 1987, there have not been significant advances in drug treatments for the disease.

Taken from here.

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