Sanofi’s Multaq, approved to treat patients whose hearts intermittently race with quick and inefficient contractions, doubled the risk of death in those with a permanent form of the erratic rhythm, a study found. Stroke and heart failure rates also rose significantly in those given Multaq during the trial of 3,236 patients, a blow for the drug that doctors thought would avoid the risks seen with earlier generations of anti-arrhythmic drugs. The research was halted in July because of the increased danger, and the results were presented today at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.
