Novartis' heart failure med Entresto wins FDA panel backing for bigger patient group—but just how much bigger?

Novartis now looks almost certain to pocket an important first-in-class approval for blockbuster heart drug Entresto, despite trial data that, at least on the surface, spelled failure for the drug.

An FDA advisory panel voted 12-1 for Entresto’s use in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a group whose hearts are compromised but haven’t yet lost as much power as those now approved for Entresto treatment.