Dofetilide: a new drug to control cardiac arrhythmia

• Published in: Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy Vol. 4; no. 6; p. 973
• Main Authors: Elming, Hanne, Brendorp, Bente, Pedersen, Ole Dyg, Køber, Lars, Torp-Petersen, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-06-2003
• Subjects: Anti-Arrhythmia Agents - adverse effects; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents - pharmacokinetics; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents - therapeutic use; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - drug therapy; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - epidemiology; Atrial Fibrillation - drug therapy; Atrial Flutter - drug therapy; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Phenethylamines - adverse effects; Phenethylamines - pharmacokinetics; Phenethylamines - therapeutic use; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; Sulfonamides - adverse effects; Sulfonamides - pharmacokinetics; Sulfonamides - therapeutic use; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1465-6566
• DOI: 10.1517/14656566.4.6.973

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Mortality, and especially morbidity caused by AF, are major and growing health problems in the western world. AF is strongly associated with arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, and with prevalence increasing with age. A variety of drugs have been used to terminate or prevent AF but, as many antiarrhythmic agents have the potential life-threatening pro-arrhythmia, safety problems remain. Dofetilide (Tikosyn, Pfizer), a new Vaughan Williams class III antiarrhythmic agent, has been developed and approved for the treatment of AF. In contrast to most antiarrhythmic agents, the development programme included two safety studies in high-risk patients. Dofetilide is effective and safe when an elaborate procedure for dosing is implemented. Along with amiodarone and betablockers, dofetilide is the only antiarrhythmic drug, which is recommended by guidelines for the treatment of AF in a wide range of patients.