Ranolazine: new drug. Stable angina: not worth the risk

(1) Betablockers such as atenolol are the first-line symptomatic treatment for stable angina. Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil and amlodipine are second-line alternatives; (2) Ranolazine is now authorized for symptomatic adjuvant treatment of angina in patients who are poorly controlled by a betablocker and/or a calcium channel blocker. Its mechanism of action is poorly understood; (3) In two randomised double-blind trials in respectively 565 and 823 patients treated for 7 and 12 weeks, ranolazine (500 mg to 1000 mg twice a day), added to ongoing amlodipine therapy only provided a limited benefit, preventing less than one angina attack per week; (4) Comparative trials failed to show whether ranolazine has a clear-cut impact on mortality; (5) Ranolazine prolongs the QT interval in a dose-dependent manner and thus exposes patients to the risk of torsades de pointes. It is also associated with gastrointestinal disorders (constipation, nausea, vomiting) and dizziness; (6) Ranolazine is metabolised by the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CYP 3A4 and CYP 2D6 and is also a P-glycoprotein substrate. There is therefore a high risk of pharmacokinetic interactions. There is also a risk of pharmacodynamic interactions with drugs that prolong the QT interval; (7) In practice, the efficacy of ranolazine in the prevention of angina attacks does not outweigh the risk of severe adverse effects.