Digital Vision/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Researchers say a new heart failure drug could save lives by lowering the mortality rate of heart failure.
According to the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the new drug, called LCZ696, showed improved results. The drug combines valsartan, which has long been used in heart failure treatment, with sacubitril, a previously unstudied medicine for the treatment of high blood pressure.
Those who received the LCZ696 had 20 percent better year-to-year survival rates than those who took a medicine that is part of standard heart failure care.
Those same patients also experienced improved symptoms. Still, the FDA did not approve any changes to the standard heart failure treatment, even though the study was stopped early due to overwhelming positive results.
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