The drug Procoralan which costs £1.40 a day could save the lives of thousands of heart disease patients. European drug regulators have just approved it for the treatment of chronic heart failure.
In heart failure, the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to the limbs and organs, causing a range of unpleasant symptoms such as weakness and breathlessness.The drug is already used to treat cases of Angina. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends it for angina sufferers that cannot take beta blockers or calcium channel blockers.
However, before it is available on the NHS, its treatment effects and cost effectiveness will need to be assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).