A symposium, sponsored by CV Therapeutics Europe Ltd, was held during the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) meeting in Manchester on 2 June 2008. This report is a summary of the symposium.
Introduction
Angina is a common, debilitating and unrelenting condition which takes its toll on individuals both in their leisure and occupational life and which can impose a significant financial burden on the health services of a nation.
Opening the meeting, Co-Chair, Professor John Camm (St George’s Hospital, London) described the new antianginal compound, ranolazine. Whilst the mechanism of action of ranolazine is largely unknown, it may have some antianginal effects by inhibition of the late sodium current in cardiac cells. This reduces intracellular sodium accumulation and consequently decreases intracellular calcium overload. Ranolazine, via its action to decrease the late sodium current, is considered to reduce these intracellular ionic imbalances during ischaemia. This reduction in cellular calcium overload is expected to improve myocardial relaxation and thereby decrease left ventricular diastolic stiffness. Symptoms of angina are improved.
Ranolazine is available in the US and has recently received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Ranolazine can be used in the EU as add-on therapy for the symptomatic treatment of patients with stable angina pectoris who are inadequately controlled by or intolerant to first-line antianginal therapies such as beta blockers and calcium antagonists.
Sponsorship statement
This supplement is supported by CV Therapeutics Europe Ltd. It may contain information on uses outside the approved Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for ranolazine. CV Therapeutics does not recommend the use of ranolazine in any other manner than as described in the Summary of Product Characteristics. CVTE/CORP/00115 (Located in the PDF download).
