Canada clears Sanofi-Aventis Multaq for atrial fibrillation
Health Canada has approved Sanofi Aventis’ Multaq (dronedarone, 400 mg tablets) for the treatment of patients with a history of or current atrial fibrillation to reduce their risk of hospitalization.
The approval marks the first new treatment for the management of atrial fibrillation to come to market in two decades, according to the Paris-based company.
For every 100,000 people in the Canadian population, 194 are hospitalized each year due to atrial fibrillation, which represents more than 43,000 hospitalizations each year. The average cost of hospitalization for arrhythmia in Ontario is $5,161 per event, bringing the annual hospitalization cost in that province alone to $84.2 million, translating into annual hospitalization costs of $222.5 million if extrapolated to the entire country.
The approval marks the first new treatment for the management of atrial fibrillation to come to market in two decades, according to the Paris-based company.
For every 100,000 people in the Canadian population, 194 are hospitalized each year due to atrial fibrillation, which represents more than 43,000 hospitalizations each year. The average cost of hospitalization for arrhythmia in Ontario is $5,161 per event, bringing the annual hospitalization cost in that province alone to $84.2 million, translating into annual hospitalization costs of $222.5 million if extrapolated to the entire country.