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(Circulation. 2001;104:e9053.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiovascular News

Ruth SoRelle, MPH

Circulation Newswriter

ALIVE Trial

The Azimilide Post-Infarct Survival Evaluation (ALIVE) demonstrated that azimilide had neither beneficial nor adverse effects on reducing all-cause mortality in patients who had had a recent myocardial infarction, according to A. John Camm, MD, of St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, UK. He noted, however, that further study needs to be directed toward the drug’s primary use as an antiarrhythmia medication. Dr Camm presented the study on November 14, 2001, at the 2001 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Anaheim, Calif.

View larger version (158K): [in this window] [in a new window]   A. John Camm, MD (photo by Paul C. SoRelle)

The study enrolled 3381 patients who had had a myocardial infarction in the previous 5 to 21 days and randomized them to either azimilide at 100 mg per day or placebo, in addition to the medications regularly given after a heart attack. Patients had a low left ventricular ejection fraction (15% to 35%) and were defined to be at risk for sudden death. A subpopulation of 1264 patients with low heart rate variability were defined to be at very high risk of sudden death and were studied separately.

The trial, conducted in 26 countries with 483 institutions, involved 3717 patients. A total of 336 patients randomized to 75 mg azimilide were not part of the overall analysis, although they were continued in safety studies. Baseline characteristics of both groups of patients were the same. There were 1690 patients in the placebo group and 1691 in the 100-mg azimilide group. There were 642 patients in the high-risk subgroup . . . [Full Text of this Article]