Does Ivabradine Decrease Cardiovascular Deaths in Heart Failure Patients?

BACKGROUND

Ivabradine, a heart rate-slowing drug used to treat heart failure and (in Europe) angina, had varying impacts upon cardiovascular events in its 3 large outcome trials. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyses may explain the reasons for the variability.

METHODS

An FDA reviewer analyzed the raw data from the 3 trials using logistic regressions to assess interactions between ivabradine and other drugs and forest plots to display dose responses.

RESULTS

Ivabradine in its SHIFT heart failure trial shows a significant interaction with loop diuretics with a beneficial impact upon cardiovascular deaths (odds ratio 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.87, P = .007). This favorable effect is supported by similar interactions in the other 2 trials (BEAUTIFUL, SIGNIFY) and by a dose response for loop diuretics interacting with ivabradine in the SHIFT and BEAUTIFUL trials. The interaction is not related to heart failure severity.

CONCLUSION

Ivabradine used concomitantly with a loop diuretic has a beneficial impact upon cardiovascular death.