SCIENCE / MEDICINE : Soviet Heart Drug Approved
A new treatment for life-threatening heartbeat irregularities is believed to be the first Soviet drug licensed by a U.S. pharmaceutical company and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Officials of Du Pont Co. said last week that the drug, Ethmozine, is used in the Soviet Union to treat the heart condition known as ventricular arrhythmia.
The drug appears to be safer than the eight others in its class for patients who have had congestive heart failure, company officials said. Side effects, which include nausea and dizziness, occurred in 10% to 15% of patients who received the drug during clinical trials. The drug will be available in the United States in September.
About 800,000 to 1.2 million Americans are being treated for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, which are related to more than 300,000 deaths each year.
The drug, developed in the Soviet Union in 1964, will be marketed by Du Pont under an agreement in which the Soviets receive royalties of 4% on worldwide sales, Landgraf said.
