Dronedarone for atrial fibrillation therapy

Abstract

Dronedarone is a new benzofuran derivative that has been developed as an antiarrhythmic agent on the basis of the amiodarone molecular structure with the intent of maintaining the same pharmacological effects while reducing thyroid and pulmonary toxicity. The drug is a multichannel blocker with antiadrenergic properties: it reduces heart rate and prolongs the action potential duration. Dronedarone is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450; its half-life is much shorter than that of amiodarone because of a lower lipophilicity. As a consequence, only 7 days are needed to reach steady-state plasma levels. It has been tested in clinical trials both for rate and rhythm control and, even if its antiarrhythmic efficacy seems to be somehow lower than that of amiodarone, dronedarone is less often discontinued due to adverse reactions or organic toxicity. For these reasons, dronedarone can be very useful in long-term treatment of atrial fibrillation, by reducing hospitalizations and mortality.

Keywords::

• amiodarone
• antiarrhythmic drug
• arrhythmias
• ion channel blockers
• rate control
• rhythm control

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Federico Lombardi is on the speaking bureau of Medtronic, sanofi-aventis, SigmaTau, Sorin and Merck Sharp & Dohme. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.