Volunteers are being recruited in Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK to participate in a two-year trial of a single 'polypill' designed to prevent heart attack and stroke. The trials are financed in part by the UMPIRE (Use of a multidrug pill in reducing cardiovascular events) project, which has received EUR 3 million under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The UMPIRE project partners are focusing on people who are at risk of cardiovascular disease or who have already had a heart attack or stroke. They hope to establish whether these patients prefer to take a single pill to prevent cardiovascular events, or to stick to their usual routine of taking several pills.
Originally developed in India, the new, low-cost, one-a-day 'polypill' (also known as the 'Red Heart Pill') contains low-dose aspirin, a statin (a drug that is used to lower blood cholesterol levels) and two blood-pressure-lowering medicines. These drugs are currently prescribed separately to individuals; taken together they can halve the risk of a person having a heart attack or stroke. However, these benefits cannot be realised if patients only take the medication for a short time. At present, many people do not manage to continue taking the pills over the long term.
"The polypill idea is really simple: make it easier for people to get the medication they need by giving them just one polypill to take each day, rather than lots of different pills that may need to be taken at different times," explained Professor Simon Thom of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London in the UK.
UMPIRE researchers will also explore whether the single-pill strategy actually reduces blood pressure and lowers cholesterol, and whether it diminishes the likelihood of patients experiencing further cardiovascular events. The results of the European trials will be combined with parallel trials being carried out in Australia and New Zealand as well as further trials awaiting approval in Brazil, Canada, China, India and South Africa. The final data will represent 7,000 patients in 10 countries.
"It's likely that combining medications in one polypill could enable people in low-income countries to have easy access to cheap preventive medication," Professor Thom stated.
The Red Heart Pill's very low cost makes it an ideal candidate for at-risk patients living in countries where individuals have limited access to healthcare, or lack the means to pay for it. If the trials are successful, the project partners plan to find ways to make the polypill available to people with low incomes in developing countries. The researchers believe that the polypill could represent a cost-effective approach to improving the quality of life of millions of people the world over.
"Polypills are being used successfully to treat other diseases like tuberculosis and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), but we don't yet know whether they could be effective in those with cardiovascular problems," said Professor Thom. "The UMPIRE trial aims to test whether the polypill does help people take their cardiovascular medicines in the long term and whether there are any unintended problems with this approach."
Approximately 2,000 volunteers are being recruited through clinics at Imperial College Healthcare NHS (National Health Service) Trust; the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands; the George Institute, India; the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi, the Public Health Foundation of India; the George Institute for International Health, Sydney, Australia; and Dr Reddy's Laboratories, India.
For further information, please visit:
http://www.georgeinstitute.org/major-collaboration-investigates-four-one-polypill
Copyright ©European Communities, 2010
Neither the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, nor any person acting on its behalf, is responsible for the use, which might be made of the attached information. The attached information is drawn from the Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS). The CORDIS services are carried on the CORDIS Host in Luxembourg - http://cordis.europa.eu. Access to CORDIS is currently available free-of-charge.
Business & Industry
- Novartis shareholders approve the proposed 100% Spin-off of Sandoz
- Vividion Therapeutics starts Phase I clinical trial in advanced solid tumors with KEAP1 activator
- GSK and Save the Children renew award-winning partnership, with focus on 'zero dose' children who have never received a vaccine
- Roche's Alecensa delivers unprecedented Phase III results for people with ALK-positive early-stage lung cancer
- BlueRock's Phase I study with bemdaneprocel in patients with Parkinson's disease meets primary endpoint
Research & Development
- Cancer drug conquers COVID inflammation
- A suit of armor for cancer-fighting cells
- Preventing the tissue's response to stiffness may be key to slowing the progression of breast tumors
- A protein on cancer cells supports the immune response against tumors
- Turmeric may be as good for treating indigestion as drug to curb excess stomach acid
- Antidepressant use in people with both physical health problems and depression
- A free online tool can help prostate cancer patients save on out-of-pocket drug costs
Conferences & Events
- SAE Media Group proudly presents the 4th Annual AI in Drug Discovery Conference
- SAE Media Group's 6th annual 3D Cell Culture Conference
- CPHI Frankfurt returns to pre-pandemic strength as pharma industry booms again
- 14th Annual RNA Therapeutics: Investigating the next generation of genetic medicine through RNA based therapies
- CPHI Excellence in Pharma Award Winners 2022
- CPHI Frankfurt Report predicts huge funding overhang to drive contract services growth
- CPHI Frankfurt 2022: Global pharma confidence hits record high in the annual CPHI Pharma Index
Regulatory Affairs
- FDA takes action on updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to better protect against currently circulating variants
- FDA approves first oral treatment for postpartum depression
- FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive
- FDA approves first gene therapy for treatment of certain patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- FDA announces additional steps to modernize clinical trials