The trial is scheduled to begin by September 2001. The indication-seeking trial will evaluate the potential effect of irbesartan on morbidity and mortality in heart failure and may extend, beyond hypertension, the patient population that can benefit from irbesartan.
Heart failure remains a serious threat to public health throughout the world.
It is the only cardiovascular disease for which prevalence continues to rise, affecting nearly twenty million people worldwide. The five-year mortality rate for heart failure is around 50 percent, with median survival following the onset of heart failure of 1.7 years for men and 3.2 years for women. 1 Irbesartan's role in hypertension has been well demonstrated in clinical trials. Irbesartan is currently indicated for the treatment of hypertension. Irbesartan is also marketed in combination with hydrochlorothiazide under the brand names CoAprovel , Avalide and Karvezide .