Novartis study shows reduced cardiovascular risk with canakinumab

Novartis has announced new clinical trial data that has demonstrated the cardiovascular risk benefits associated with its drug canakinumab.

A new analysis of the phase III CANTOS study has been presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions, showing that people with a prior heart attack who achieved hsCRP levels below 2mg/L at three months after the first dose of canakinumab had a 25 percent reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events versus placebo.

These patients also had a significant reduction of 31 percent in the rate of cardiovascular death and all-cause death – reductions that were not observed among those who achieved hsCRP levels equal to or above 2mg/L.

This shows that hsCRP testing can be a quick and reliable way to identify the patients most likely to achieve the greatest benefits from long-term canakinumab treatment, while also demonstrating that treating inflammation as well as lowering cholesterol can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Vas Narasimhan, global head of drug development and chief medical officer at Novartis, said: "In addition to offering targeted cardiovascular benefits for patients, personalised treatment approaches can also be more cost-efficient for the overall healthcare system. We hope we can bring this innovative treatment to patients in the near future."

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