Sanofi-Aventis atrial fibrillation drug said to carry hope

A drug being trialled by Sanofi-Aventis (SA) has the potential to reduce hospitalisation and death in patients with an atrial flutter, it says.

Multaq (dronedarone) has undergone testing in an Atherna study, which found the risk of hospitalisation or death was lowered by 24 per cent.

This is the first time in two decades of research into effective treatments for atrial fibrillation that such a lowered risk has been recorded, the company added.

The full details of the study will be presented at the Heart Rhythm conference 2008.

Marc Cluzel, SA’s senior vice president of research and development (R&D), said: “The Athena results have the potential to change the face of atrial fibrillation management.

“For atrial fibrillation patients ? Multaq carries hope.”

SA employs more than 18,000 R&D workers worldwide, has 25 R&D centres across three continents and has the third largest budget in the pharmaceutical industry, it says.