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Servier Laboratories heart drug gets licence

Date published: 25/01/2006

Servier's long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor Coversyl (perindopril) has been granted a new licence for treating patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The licence from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) follows a trial that showed perindopril, which is currently used for hypertension, reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac arrest by 20 per cent.

Professor Kim Fox, who chaired the trial committee, said: "The new licence for perindopril is well-deserved. "Perindopril should now be seen as a first-line treatment for the everyday management of patients with heart disease who have had a heart attack or bypass surgery, and thus should be initiated along with aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs in the majority of patients with coronary disease in order to reduce the risk of future cardiac events."

It is thought that perindopril could prevent at least 45,000 cardiovascular deaths over a four-year period. Dr Jonathan Morrell, general practitioner and hospital practitioner in cardiology, said: "This new licence is great news for both doctors and patients. "In one medication, patients who have suffered a heart attack or had a coronary revascularisation procedure can benefit from having a lower risk of further cardiac events - as well as good blood pressure control." He went on to explain it could also help doctors to achieve their targets and, through the reduction in heart attacks, reduce the burden on the NHS.

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