Azimilide dihydrochloride

Abstract

Azimilide dihydrochloride is an antiarrhythmic drug with Vaughn Williams class III properties, which blocks both fast (IK_r) and slow (IK_s) components of the delayed rectifier cardiac potassium channel. The drug slows the heart rate slightly and, like other class III antiarrhythmic drugs, prolongs ventricular repolarization and thus, the QT interval. Unlike sotalol, another class III antiarrhythmic drug, azimilide does not exhibit reverse-use dependence, that is, its binding characteristics and effectiveness are not related to the heart rate. Azimilide is 85% bioavailable, reaches peak blood concentrations in 6–8 h and has a long elimination half-life of 114 h. Clinical trials have utilized once-daily dosing. These trials have tested the use of the drug for patients with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias.

Keywords::

• antiarrhythmic drugs
• atrial fibrillation
• implantable cardioverter defibrillator
• supraventricular tachycardia
• ventricular tachycardia
• ventricular tachyarrhythmia