Pfizer halts Inspra trial early due to positive results

Pfizer has called an end to a clinical trial of its heart disease drug Inspra, after the treatment met its primary efficacy endpoint early.

The company is halting recruitment for the Emphasis-HF study following a second interim analysis by the independent data safety monitoring committee, showing Inspra’s effectiveness in reducing rates of cardiovascular death or heart failure compared to placebo.

It was originally planned for the Emphasis-HF trial to run until October 2011, with around 3,100 patients set to be involved.

Professor Faiez Zannad, co-chair of the executive steering committee, said: “It is not common for clinical studies to conclude early for reasons of efficacy ? To have met the pre-defined efficacy endpoints early is certainly a positive outcome.”

Pfizer is now working with regulators and clinicians to proceed to the next stage of its Inspra research programme, which will see all consenting patients begin treatment with the drug in an open label study extension.

Last week, Pfizer announced the appointment of Dr Mikael Dolsten as the president of its newly-reorganised research and development division, which has been fully combined with that of Wyeth.