Analysis from SHIFT study confirms role of ivabradine in reduction of risk in Heart Failure-Amgen

Amgen announced data from the Phase III SHIFT (Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial) study evaluating ivabradine in patients with Chronic Heart Failure (HF) were presented at the 18th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) in Las Vegas . A post-hoc analysis from the SHIFT study confirmed low systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with poor outcomes in chronic HF, and that ivabradine reduced the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF in this subgroup with low baseline SBP. Safety was similar across the three SBP groups.

Results were published in the July 2014 issue of the European Journal of Heart Failure Ivabradine is an oral drug that inhibits the If current ("funny" current) in the sinoatrial node, the body's cardiac pacemaker. It works to slow the heart rate without negative effects on myocardial contractility or ventricular repolarization.