International experts meet at the CNIC to launch the FOCUS project

July 05 2010

The meeting was held to celebrate the launch the FOCUS project, which is financed by the 7th European Framework Programme. Representatives of all the institutions and companies involved in the project, directed by Dr. Valentín Fuster, met today in the CNIC to finalize the details of the launch. Among the attendees were Kathryn Taubert of the World Heart Foundation, Felipe Martínez of the DAMIC, Carla Roncaglioni of the Instituto di Richerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Antonio Sarria of the Carlos III Institute of Health, Rafael Bengoa, who is Health Advisor to the Basque regional government and a member of the FOCUS Ethics and Scientific Advisory Committee, and Ginés Sanz and Eliseo Guallar of the CNIC.

The study, which will last three years, is designed to demonstrate the validity of the polypill concept for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in populations with various socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the study will be used to establish recommended use of medication in patients with ischemic heart disease.
Ischemic heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death in the world. A large proportion of individuals at high risk of suffering a cardiovascular event within 10 years live in countries with a low or medium socio-economic level, and most cardiovascular events occur in developing countries. A large body of evidence indicates that fatal heart attacks in this population can be prevented by the administration of drugs, including inhibitors of platelet aggregation, beta blockers, lipid-lowering drugs, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

Nonetheless, the efficiency of secondary prevention is compromised by inappropriate prescription by physicians, poor treatment adherence by patients, and the limited availability and high cost of medication.

The combination of fixed doses of drugs (the polypill) that is being developed by the CNIC and Grupo Ferrer is targeted at patients at high cardiovascular risk and contains three of the drugs that these patients should take: acetylsalicilic acid (aspirin), a statin to control the levels of cholesterol, and an ACE inhibitor to reduce arterial blood pressure. The FOCUS project will provide in-depth knowledge about the factors that lead to inadequate prescription and poor treatment adherence in secondary prevention. After its successful completion, the FOCUS project will result in improved treatment adherence in patients, and reduce costs and increase availability of the treatment in developing countries.

More information about the project is provided in the pdf document that can be downloaded via the link at the bottom of this page, and also on the web pages of the institutions and companies involved in the project, which can be accessed from the list below: