Novartis' Heart Failure Medicine LCZ696 Granted FDA Priority Review

Novartis announced today that the FDA has granted priority review designation to LCZ696, an investigational medicine for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The designation accelerates the review of therapies that offer a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a serious condition. For LCZ696 this reduces the total review time from 12 to 8 months, meaning the FDA could make a decision on approval in August 2015.

"LCZ696 is a demonstration of our commitment to developing innovative medicines that improve important heart failure related outcomes such as cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization and quality of life," said David Epstein, Division Head, Novartis Pharmaceuticals. "The FDA's decision reflects the significant need to extend and improve life for HFrEF patients and Novartis is working to ensure LCZ696 can become available in the US as soon as possible."

The New Drug Application (NDA) was submitted under the agency's Fast Track program and is based on results from the landmark PARADIGM-HF study, the largest ever conducted in heart failure, which showed LCZ696 was superior to ACE-inhibitor enalapril on key endpoints, including significantly reducing the risk of CV death or heart failure hospitalization. Patients' reports of how well they felt were significantly better with LCZ696 than enalapril, whilst maintaining an acceptable safety profile.

In the EU the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has granted accelerated assessment to LCZ696.