Novartis’ canakinumab shows benefits for heart attack survivors

Novartis has announced new clinical trial data that demonstrates the benefits that its drug canakinumab can deliver for heart attack survivors.

Results from the global phase III CANTOS study have demonstrated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of canakinumab – also known as ACZ885 – when used in combination with the standard of care in people with a prior heart attack and inflammatory atherosclerosis.

The drug was shown to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events – including cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke – in heart attack survivors, thereby meeting the primary efficacy endpoint of the study.

This is an important marker of progress, as about 40 percent of heart attack survivors remain at increased risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death due to high-risk inflammatory atherosclerosis, with 25 percent experiencing another event within five years.

Vas Narasimhan, global head of drug development and chief medical officer at Novartis, said: "ACZ885 is the first and only investigational agent which has shown that selectively targeting inflammation reduces cardiovascular risk. Our priority now is to thoroughly analyse this important data and discuss it with regulatory agencies."

With more than 10,000 patients enrolled in the study over the last six years, CANTOS represents one of the largest and longest-running clinical trials in Novartis' history.

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