UKidney Nephrology News and Insights

Canada as an adjunct to standard therapy, to reduce the risk of deathfollowing a heart attack in clinically stable patients who have evidence of heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction: INSPRA (eplerenonetablets) is the first aldosterone receptor blocker to be approved for thisindication in Canada. In the landmark Eplerenone Post-acute myocardial infarction Heart failureEfficacy and SUrvival Study (EPHESUS),(1) INSPRA provided significant earlyand sustained all-cause mortality benefits above and beyond standardtherapies, including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors,angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and beta blockers in patients with acutemyocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by heart failure. "Pfizer Canada is pleased to introduce INSPRA as part of our establishedportfolio of cardiovascular treatment options. This innovative medication willprovide Canadians afflicted by congestive heart failure after a myocardialinfarcation, with a proven and effective treatment," said Dr. Bernard Prigent,Vice President and Medical Director, Pfizer Canada Inc. "We are confident thatINSPRA will become an essential, life-saving component of standardpost-myocardial infarction care in Canada, based on the 2009 American Collegeof Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines that recommendshort-term and long-term use of aldosterone blockade."