Merck, Cardiome Pharma show superiority of BRINAVESS to amiodarone injection

In a new Phase III study, BRINAVESS^TM (vernakalant) intravenous, an investigational compound being developed in the European Union by Merck (known as MSD outside the USA and Canada) (NYSE: MRK) and Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME / TSX: COM) to treat atrial fibrillation, showed that BRINAVESS was superior to amiodarone injection, in converting patients' heart rate from atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm (SR) within 90 minutes of the start of administration. The results of the study were presented today during a late-breaking clinical trials session at Heart Rhythm 2010, the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society.

“The efficacy and safety results of vernakalant in this study are encouraging.”

In the study, called AVRO (Active-Controlled, Multi-Center Study of Vernakalant Injection versus Amiodarone in Subjects with Recent Onset Atrial Fibrillation), 51.7 percent>

"Atrial fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm and its prevalence has increased over the past 20 years. It is important to have therapies that convert patients back to a normal heart rhythm as quickly as possible," says John Camm, BSc, M.D., FRCP, professor of Clinical Cardiology at St George's, University of London and lead investigator of the AVRO study. "The efficacy and safety results of vernakalant in this study are encouraging."

SOURCE Merck and Cardiome Pharma Corp.