A review of the investigational antiarrhythmic agent dronedarone.

Arrhythmias are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and atrial fibrillation is the most widespread disorder of cardiac rhythm. Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic agent that has been in clinical use for about 20 years. It is effective for multiple types of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, and has a low incidence of cardiac adverse events, including Torsade de Pointes. It has many noncardiac adverse effects that are serious and limit its long-term use. Dronedarone is an investigational antiarrhythmic agent that is designed to have similar cardiac effects to amiodarone but with fewer adverse effects. This review presents some of the animal and human studies that evaluate the effects of dronedarone.