Novartis heart failure treatment Entresto® is awarded prestigious Prix Galien Canada Innovative Product Award Français
DORVAL, QC, Nov. 21, 2018 /CNW/ - Novartis heart failure treatment Entresto® (sacubitril/valsartan) has been named the winner of the 2018 Prix Galien Canada Innovative Product Award. Entresto was approved in 2015 by Health Canada for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II or III, to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization1. The award was presented to Novartis last night at a ceremony in Toronto.
The Prix Galien is the most prestigious award in the field of Canadian pharmaceutical research and innovation. The Innovative Product Award recognizes the new treatment that has "made the most significant overall contribution to patient care in Canada in terms of efficacy, safety, benefits and innovation2."
"We are very proud of our work with Entresto. Receiving this award recognizes the innovation this treatment brings to Canadian patients," said Janice Murray, President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. who accepted the award at the ceremony. "It is a tribute to the large team of Novartis researchers, clinical researchers across Canada as well as our many Novartis associates who worked for years to develop Entresto and make it available to patients."
The work of the Novartis researchers which ultimately led to the development of Entresto began with an important discovery by Canadian researchers. In 1980, a team led by Dr. Adolfo J. de Bold, at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, and including others at the University of Toronto, discovered atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone excreted by heart muscle cells. This work established that the heart has an endocrine function through which it modulates blood pressure, blood volume and cardiovascular growth. The discovery was the basis of subsequent research by Dr. de Bold and others for new heart disease treatments, including Entresto3.
Heart failure is a debilitating and life-threatening condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body. Symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and fluid retention can appear slowly and worsen over time, significantly impacting quality of life4. An estimated 600,000 Canadians live with heart failure5 and about 1 in 5 individuals will develop it at some point in their lives6,7. Heart failure is responsible for 9 per cent of all deaths in Canada or about 22,000 per year8 which is almost equal to the number of deaths from breast, colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined9. In Canada, it is the fifth leading cause of hospitalization overall10 and the second leading cause of hospitalization in Canada for people 65 years or older11.
Entresto is a first-in-class medicine containing sacubitril, a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor and valsartan, an angiotensin II AT1 receptor blocker. A twice-a-day tablet, it has a unique mode of action which is thought to reduce the strain on the failing heart12,13,14 by enhancing the protective neurohormonal systems of the heart (NP system) while simultaneously suppressing the compensatory renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (the RAAS) which can be harmful over time13.
About Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., a leader in the healthcare field, is committed to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative products to improve the well-being of all Canadians. In 2017, the company invested $51 million in research and development in Canada. Located in Dorval, Quebec, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. employs approximately 750 people in Canada and is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. For further information, please consult www.novartis.ca.
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2017, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.1 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 125,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
References
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SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
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Novartis Media Relations: Patricia Tiramani, Novartis Corporate Communications, +1 514 633 7873, E-mail: [email protected]; Spectrum Advisors, +1 514 234 4095, [email protected]
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