The trial involved 8,442 patients with moderate to severe heart failure. The trial was already halted early because the independent monitors deemed LCZ696 was performing significantly better than the older drug, enalapril. LCZ696 is a combination drug of two antihypertensives (blood pressure lowering drugs), valsartan and AHU-377. Designed to be taken twice a day “By demonstrating a very significant reduction in cardiovascular deaths while improving quality of life, Novartis’ new heart failure medicine, LCZ696, represents one of the most important cardiology advances of the last decade,” said David Epstein, the division head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals. According to the American Heart Association, the drug could be on the market by 2015.
