BRISTOL DISCONTINUES ORAL d-SOTALOL SWORD TRIAL
Executive Summary
BRISTOL DISCONTINUES ORAL d-SOTALOL SWORD TRIAL on Nov. 1 because of increased mortality compared to placebo in patients taking the investigational class III (potassium channel blocking) anti-arrhythmic drug. The SWORD (Survival with Oral d-Sotalol) Data Safety Monitoring Committee examined interim data from 2,762 patients and determined that "the overall mortality in the d- sotalol group was 3.9% compared to 2% in the placebo group;" Bristol-Myers Squibb reported Nov. 4.