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Antiarrhythmic drugs, patients, and the pharmaceutical industry: value for patients, physicians, pharmacists or shareholders?

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Abstract

Antiarrhythmic drugs no longer seem to be big business. After the unexpected CAST trial results (excess mortality in the class 1C antiarrhythmic drug treatment arms in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and abundant ventricular extrasystoles),1 antiarrhythmic drug treatment became less popular for CAD patients. Since this category of patients represents the majority of cardiology patients with chronic disease, these results impacted on the antiarrhythmic drug market. In the years that followed, the use of class 1C drugs was even further discouraged.

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Authors and Affiliations

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    A. A. M. Wilde

Authors
  1. A. A. M. Wilde
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  2. P. Langendijk
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Correspondence to A. A. M. Wilde.

Additional information

Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Hospital pharmacist, Amsterdam Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Correspondence to: A.A.M. Wilde Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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Wilde, A.A.M., Langendijk, P. Antiarrhythmic drugs, patients, and the pharmaceutical industry: value for patients, physicians, pharmacists or shareholders?. NHJL 15, 127–128 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03085967

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03085967

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