October 7th, 2010
Rolofylline Fails in Heart-Failure Trial
Larry Husten, PHD
In a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, Massie and colleagues randomized 2033 patients hospitalized with acute heart failure and impaired renal function to receive intravenous roloflylline or placebo. Earlier studies had suggested that the use of an adenosine A1-receptor antagonist might be beneficial in this patient population.
There was no difference between the two groups in the primary endpoint, which was based on survival, heart-failure status, and changes in renal function. At 60 days the rate of death or readmission for cardiovascular or renal causes was similar in both groups. The authors concluded that rolofylline “does not show promise in the treatment of acute heart failure with renal dysfunction.”