Novartis receives European approval for heart failure drug Entresto

Novartis has been granted European regulatory approval for Entresto, a twice-daily tablet therapy for the treatment of heart failure.

The sacubitril/valsartan therapy is intended for adult patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and offers a unique mode of action designed to reduce the strain on the failing heart.

Data from the 8,442-patient PARADIGM-HF study showed Entresto significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death compared to an established alternative, resulting in the trial being halted early.

At the end of the study, patients who were given Entresto were more likely to be alive and less likely to have been hospitalised for heart failure, while it also showed a strong safety performance.

David Epstein, division head at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said: "We know that people living with heart failure face a high risk of death and have a worse quality of life than those with almost any other chronic condition."

The company's drug Cosentyx was also approved in Europe for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis this week.