Pimobendan in heart failure therapy--a silver bullet?

Abstract

Pimobendan is a novel agent with properties that are highly desirable in the clinical management of congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to both dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and chronic degenerative valvular disease in dogs. Review of available data suggests that pimobendan is safe, well tolerated, and leads to enhanced quality of life in dogs with CHF secondary to DCM or chronic valvular disease when used in combination with furosemide or other conventional therapies (e.g., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, digoxin). Pimobendan leads to a reduction in mortality from CHF associated with DCM, and ongoing studies are evaluating its effects on mortality associated with chronic valvular disease.