Content about Cardiology

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chelsea Therapeutics International has applied for Food and Drug Administration approval of a drug for a disorder that affects patients with diseases like Parkinson's disease.

The drug maker announced the submission of a new drug application for Northera (droxidopa) as a treatment for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. NOH predominantly affects people with primary autonomic failure, a group of diseases that includes Parkinson's, multiple system atrophy and pure autonomic failure.

NEW YORK — Singer and atrial fibrillation patient Barry Manilow has joined Sanofi's national education campaign designed to raise awareness about atrial fibrillation.

The Get Back in Rhythm campaign aims to improve the health and well-being of those affected by the condition by encouraging them to learn more about the risks and talk with their healthcare provider about how to maintain a normal heart rhythm and manage the disease.

CVS/pharmacy spent the last couple of months sponsoring nearly 300 free screening and consultation events in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia targeting African-American communities. 


Part of the chain’s To Your Health program, the events were an extension of the A Su Salud events targeting Hispanic customers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Miami. To Your Health started in Atlanta on April 17, moving on to Washington, D.C., on June 12 and Philadelphia on June 19.


CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A biopharmaceutical company has appointed a new CFO.

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals named Mark Fitzpatrick as the company's new CFO. Fitzpatrick joins the company, which is focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders, from Proteon Therapeutics, where he served as VP, CFO and assistant secretary.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wegmans Food Markets on Tuesday introduced new resources for patients concerned about blood pressure and how to best manage their numbers at the Wegmans pharmacy counter. Wegmans also is hosting a blood pressure page on Wegmans.com, where patients can watch seven short videos on ways toward good readings.

DALLAS — A new study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association established a link between high blood pressure and the consumption of such beverages as soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks.

OSAKA, Japan — Drug maker Takeda has filed for regulatory approval of a drug to treat hypertension, the company said Wednesday.

Takeda announced that it had submitted an application with the Food and Drug Administration for the fixed-dose drug azilsartan medoxomil and chlorthalidone. Azilsartan medoxomil is an angiotensin II receptor blocker, or ARB, that lowers blood pressure by blocking the angiotensin II hormone.

NEW YORK — In line with American Heart Month, Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis has introduced a cardiovascular risk-reduction calculator, designed to assess patients' cardiovascular risk.

The calculator, which can be accessed at MicardisPro.com, is an interactive, useful tool for healthcare professionals to assist patients in reaching their cardiovascular risk-reduction goal, the company said.

Micardis (telmisartan) is a drug designed to treat hypertension.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The cardiovascular drug market will turn into a difficult conquest in the years to come as it increasingly will be dominated by generics, but that isn’t stopping drug companies from continuing to develop treatments — 299 of them, according to a recent report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — for high cholesterol, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and other heart-related conditions.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — PharmaSmart International on Monday announced new advances in its blood-pressure diagnostic and health IT kiosks, including Internet connectivity, patient data tracking and patient health record integration.

“PharmaSmart now combines a clinically validated diagnostic tool with an easy-to-use health IT platform to offer pharmacists meaningful tools for better patient care,” stated Ashton Maaraba, PharmaSmart GM and SVP. “This represents a new era of clinical pharmacy services.”

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Patients with one or more out of four chronic diseases studied who take their medications as prescribed may save the healthcare system as much as $7,800 per patient annually, according to findings of a new CVS Caremark study analyzing annual pharmacy and medical costs over a three-year period.