CardioExchange Archive

June 2nd, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 2nd

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the durability of class I ACC/AHA clinical practice guideline recommendations and several papers on hypertension.

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September 27th, 2013

Saying Sorry May Not Be Good Enough for Novartis

Larry Husten, PHD

Novartis has issued a formal apology over misconduct relating to valsartan (Diovan) research in Japan, but that apology does not appear likely to satisfy the Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, which plans to fully investigate the company’s role in the scandal. If necessary, ministry officials are prepared to raid the company’s offices in Japan. A Novartis official apologized to […]

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September 5th, 2013

Lancet Formally Retracts Jikei Heart Study of Valsartan

Larry Husten, PHD

The Lancet has formally retracted the Jikei Heart Study paper, originally published in 2007. The retraction had been widely anticipated for more than a month, after a series of news reports in Japan made it clear that the long-simmering controversy over scientific misconduct involving the Novartis blood pressure lowering drug valsartan (Diovan) had come to a full boil. […]

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July 30th, 2013

More Bad News for Valsartan

Larry Husten, PHD

In the last few days, more bad news about valsartan (Diovan, Novartis) has emerged. Another major study conducted in Japan — the Jikei Heart Study — will be retracted, and Japanese health authorities said they were investigating severe skin reactions associated with use of the drug. The new events are only the latest problems for the drug […]

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February 2nd, 2013

European Heart Journal Retracts Main Paper of the Kyoto Heart Study

Larry Husten, PHD

The 2009 report of the Kyoto Heart Study on the add-on effect of valsartan in hypertension has been retracted with a terse comment by the editors of the European Heart Journal.

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January 8th, 2013

Two Retractions for Embattled Chief Investigator of KYOTO HEART Study

Larry Husten, PHD

The editor of Circulation Journal, the official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society (and not to be confused with the American Heart Association’s [AHA’s] better known Circulation) has announced the retraction of two substudies from the KYOTO HEART Study. The papers, according to the editor, “contain a number of serious errors in data analysis.” The announcement contained no additional information about […]

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September 25th, 2012

Another One Bites the Dust: Diovan Patent Expires but Generic Valsartan Is MIA

Larry Husten, PHD

Although the patent on valsartan (Diovan, Novartis) expired last Friday, a generic version of the popular antihypertensive drug has yet to make it to market. By contrast, a generic version of Diovan HCT, the combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide, was recently launched by generic drug maker Mylan. As reported on Pharmalot, Ranbaxy, the embattled generic drug maker, holds the exclusive […]

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