BioCentury
ARTICLE | Clinical News

Novartis' canakinumab cuts CV risk in MI patients

June 22, 2017 9:21 PM UTC

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) said canakinumab (ACZ885) plus standard of care reduced cardiovascular risk in patients with a prior heart attack and inflammatory atherosclerosis in the Phase III CANTOS trial. The mAb against IL-1 beta met the placebo-controlled trial’s primary endpoint of time to first occurrence of a major adverse CV event (MACE), defined as CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) or non-fatal stroke.

CANTOS tested quarterly doses of 50, 150 and 300 mg subcutaneous canakinumab in 10,061 patients with a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) level of at least 2 mg/L and an MI at least one month prior to study entry. Novartis did not disclose which dose level or levels met the primary endpoint, but spokesperson Eric Althoff told BioCentury the company intends to present additional data at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in August...