Ivabradine is an oral drug that inhibits the If current ("funny" current) in the sinoatrial node, the body's cardiac pacemaker.2 It works to slow the heart rate without negative effects on myocardial contractility or ventricular repolarization.2
"Despite standard of care, chronic heart failure remains a disabling condition with a poor prognosis for patients at risk for hospitalization," said
In
The SHIFT study is a large, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, outcomes trial that compared ivabradine to placebo on top of standard-of-care therapies, including beta-blockers, in more than 6,500 patients with symptomatic chronic HF in sinus rhythm with reduced left ventricular function and heart rate >70 beats per minute (bpm).
At HFSA,
"Low blood pressure is a common condition in chronic heart failure that complicates management and is associated with negative outcomes such as death and hospitalization," said
Additional findings presented at the HFSA meeting included data from a pre-specified Holter electrocardiography sub-study (ECG-Holter sub-study), which evaluated 501 patients from the SHIFT trial to better understand the relationship between heart rate and safety/incidence of adverse events while taking ivabradine on top of optimized HF therapy, including beta blockers. Results showed that at eight months, 24-hour heart rate was significantly reduced by 9.5 + 10.1 bpm in the ivabradine group (n=254) versus 1.2 + 8.9 bpm in the placebo group (n=247) (p<0.0001). Higher rates of at least one episode of heart rate less than 40 bpm were also reported in the ivabradine group (p<0.0001). No increase in significant pauses, second/high degree atrioventricular block or arrhythmias was observed in the ivabradine group in this sub-study.
Heart failure is a common condition that affects approximately 26 million worldwide, including approximately 5.1 million people in the U.S.4,5 It is the leading cause of rehospitalization in
SHIFT Study Design
SHIFT (Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial) is a large, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, outcomes study involving more than 6,500 patients in 37 countries. The Phase 3 SHIFT study compared ivabradine to placebo on top of standard-of-care therapies (including beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), diuretics and/or aldosterone antagonists), in patients with symptomatic chronic HF in sinus rhythm with reduced left ventricular function and heart rate >70 bpm. After a run-in period of 14 days without study treatment, eligible patients were randomized to receive ivabradine or placebo, with a starting dose of 5 mg daily. After a 14-day titration period, at Day 14, the dose was increased to 7.5 mg twice daily, unless the resting heart rate was 60 bpm or lower. If resting heart rate fell below 50 bpm or patients experienced signs or symptoms of bradycardia, the dose was reduced to 2.5 mg twice daily. The double-blind treatment period lasted approximately 12-48 months.
The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF. The first secondary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF in patients receiving at least 50 percent of the target daily dose of beta blockers at randomization. Other secondary endpoints included all-cause death, any cardiovascular death, hospitalization for worsening HF, all-cause hospitalization, any cardiovascular hospitalization and death from HF, and the composite of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for worsening HF or hospitalization for non-fatal myocardial infarction.
The SHIFT study, which completed in
About Ivabradine
Ivabradine is an investigational oral drug that inhibits the If current ("funny" current) in the sinoatrial node, the body's cardiac pacemaker.1 Ivabradine works to slow the heart rate without negative effects on myocardial contractility or ventricular repolarization.1 Developed by Les Laboratoires Servier, ivabradine was approved by the
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