10 April 2009
Bangalore, India
Researchers at Bangalore–based St John’s Medical College and Research Institute on Friday said the wonder pill–Polycap, a combination of five drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease – is awaiting approval to hit the market.
Doctors at the hospital were a part of the global breakthrough of Polycap, which promises to cut down risk by 50%.
Dr. Prem Pais, dean of St John’s Medical College and head of the division of clinical trials, told reporters that Polycap’s first clinical trial demonstrates that it is safe and could potentially reduce heart disease by 62% and stroke by 48%. The pill will be launched after they get regulatory approval.
Professor and head of pharmacology and coordinator of the division of clinical trials Dr Denis Xavier said the company will price it in such a way that a majority of lower middle–class Indians and other developing countries are able to afford it in the long–term.
He said more research is needed to determine an optimal composition of the pill. “What is yet to be known is whether it will reduce mortality and other cardiovascular events to the extent that estimates predict,” he said.
The path–breaking research found that Polycap was tolerated well by the study participants and threw up no evidence of side–effects.
Healthy individuals between the age group of 45 and 80, with one risk factor of cardio–vascular disease, were compared with Polycap to eight other pharmacological therapies.
The study looked at the impact of the combination pill on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate and urinary thromboxane B2, an indicator of the stickiness of blood platelets.
What is it?
» Combination of five drugs, capsule contains blood pressure lowering drugs, a statin (drug to lower cholesterol) and aspirin (to reduce stickiness of blood).
Heart of the Matter
» Study results were presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando, USA, and in Lancet, a leading medical journal from UK
» For the first designed Polycap, St John’s teamed up with Dr. Salim Yusuf at McMaster University in Canada and Cadila Pharma, India
» The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases are increasing steadily – 48% of men and 63% women with coronary heart disease die suddenly with no warning
» Prevention means reducing risk factors
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