Paradigm-Heart Failure a Possible Alternative to ACE Inhibitors

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) will host it's 18^th Annual Scientific Meeting that will feature a late breaking clinical trial which tested an Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) as a potential alternative to Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. The session will take place on Monday, September 15^th at 4:45 PM, and will be led by Dr. Milton Packer, MD.

The session will focus on the late breaking trial that Drs. McMurray and Packer led over a period of five years that involved 8,400 patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction from 1,043 sites throughout 47 countries. This trial compared ACE inhibitors with a different approach by using a drug, LCZ696 which is a combination of the Angiotensin receptor blocker Valsartan and a Neprilysin Inhibitor Sacubitril.

"ACE inhibitors have been the cornerstone of treatment for heart failure for 25 years, but instead of assuming this standard method of treatment, we decided our goal was to show that LCZ696 works better than ACE inhibitors," said Dr. Packer. "While ACE inhibitors decrease the 'bad' enzymes, our intent was to be the first team to design a drug that not only decreases the bad but simultaneously increases the good. This trial is poised to change management of heart failure for years to come and we are pleased to present our results at the HFSA annual meeting."

Top line results of Dr. Packer's trial were recently presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Barcelona. During his presentation at the HFSA meeting, Dr. Packer will highlight additional findings of the paradigm heart failure study for the first time in a U.S. meeting. Additionally, following the late breaking clinical trial session, there will be a short discussion focused on the potential clinical implications of the paradigm heart failure study.

For a complete list of annual meeting sessions or for details on attending the conference, visit www.hfsa.org and click on Annual Scientific Meeting. There is also an app for the Annual Meeting available in the Apple Store by searching HFSA. There is no registration fee for accredited journalists. Interview areas will be available on-site in addition to a press room. You may follow news from the meeting on Twitter @HFSA and #HFSA.

About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened after it is injured, most commonly from heart attack or high blood pressure, and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body's needs. Many people are not aware they have heart failure because the symptoms are often mistaken for signs of getting older. Heart failure affects 4.6 to 4.8 million individuals in the United States. Demographic and clinical evidence strongly suggests that the prevalence of heart failure will increase throughout the next decade. Ten to 15 years ago heart failure was considered a "death sentence;" however, recent advances in treatment have shown that early diagnosis and proper care in early stages of the condition are key to slowing, stopping or in some cases reversing progression, improving quality of life, and extending life expectancy. For more information on heart failure, please visit www.abouthf.org.

About the Heart Failure Society of America
The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is a nonprofit educational organization, founded in 1994 as the first organized association of heart failure experts. The HFSA provides a forum for all those interested in heart function, heart failure research and patient care. The Society also serves as a resource for governmental agencies (FDA, NIH, NHLBI, CMS). The HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to highlight recent advances in the development of strategies to address the complex epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic issues of heart failure. Additional information on HFSA can be found at www.hfsa.org.

SOURCE The Heart Failure Society of America