Novartis Phase III CANTOS study demonstrates that targeting inflammation with ACZ 885 (canakinumab)) reduces cardiovascular risk.

Novartis revealed primary data from CANTOS, a Phase III study evaluating quarterly injections of ACZ 885 (canakinumab) in people with a prior heart attack and inflammatory atherosclerosis as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels of more than =2mg/L, a known marker of inflammation. Trial participants received either placebo or one of three doses of ACZ 885 in combination with current standard of care therapies, with 91% of them taking lipid-lowering statins.

The study showed that ACZ 885 led to a statistically significant 15% reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), a composite of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke and cardiovascular death, compared to placebo (p-value 0.021). This benefit was sustained throughout the duration of the study (median follow up 3.7 years) and was largely consistent across key pre-specified baseline sub groups. The study met the primary endpoint in cardiovascular risk reduction with the 150mg dose of ACZ 885; the 300mg dose showed similar benefits and the 50mg dose was less efficacious. The study findings in cardiovascular risk reduction were presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress and published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine. The details of the additional CANTOS lung cancer findings were also presented at ESC and simultaneously published in The Lancet.

See- " Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease"- Paul M Ridker, M.D., Brendan M. Everett, M.D., Tom Thuren, M.D., Jean G. MacFadyen, B.A., William H. Chang, Ph.D., et.al., on behalf of the CANTOS Trial Group. Published: 27 August 2017 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32247-X.