Positive new data on heart failure treatment Entresto

There was good news today for Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX), with new data showing that its heart failure drug. sales of which have so far failed to meet expectations, was safe and effective in patients stabilized after hospitalization for acute HF regardless of whether they received it in-hospital or after discharge.

Data from the TRANSITION study presented today at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich, Germany, has shown that Entresto(sacubitril/valsartan) can be initiated early and safely in a wide range of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have been stabilized after hospitalization due to an acute heart failure episode. Patients involved in the study included those with no prior experience of Entresto or conventional HF therapies, as well as those with prior experience of conventional HF therapies.

About half of all heart failure patients have reduced ejection fraction, and optimizing treatment for these patients according to guidelines is critical to reduce the likelihood of another acute episode or dying. However, there is often hesitancy to initiate a new treatment after a hospitalization as these patients are considered ‘vulnerable’ and unable to tolerate changes in their medication.