Use of pimobendan for the reduction of heart size in mammals suffering from heart failure

1. A method for treating a patient suffering from ISACHC (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council) Classification Ib heart failure, the method comprising:

administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

wherein the administration results in a reduction in the size of the patient's heart.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is a dog.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administration is free from administering pimobendan with a combination of furosemide, enalapril and digoxin.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the heart size of the patient comprises reducing a relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient by 0.05 to 0.25 vertebrae within 10 to 100 days of the administration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in oral or parenteral form.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in a daily dose from 10 μg/kg to 10 mg/kg.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in a single daily dose.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered together with a medicament selected from the group consisting of a calcium channel blocker, an ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor, a diuretic, a platelet inhibitor, aspirin, a beta blocker, an angiotensin II antagonist, an aldosterone antagonist, a digitalis glycoside, an antiarrhythmic agent and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the calcium channel blocker is selected from the group consisting of diltiazem, verapamil and felodipine, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ACE inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of omapatrilat, MDL100240, alacepril, benazepril, captopril, cilazapril, delapril, enalapril, enalaprilat, fosinopril, fosinoprilat, imidapril, lisinopril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, ramiprilat, saralasin acetate, temocapril, trandoloapril, trandolaprilat, ceranapril, moexipril, quinaprilat and spirapril, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the beta blocker is selected from the group consisting of bisoprolol, carvediol, metoprolol, propranolol and timolol, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the angiotensin II antagonist is selected from the group consisting of saralasin acetate, candesartan, cilexetil, valsartan, losartan potassium, eprosartan, irbesartan, tasosartan, pomisartan and telmisartan, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the aldosterone antagonist is selected from the group consisting of spironolactone, eplerenone, canrenone and potassium canrenone, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the antiarrhythmic agent is selected from the group consisting of amiodarone, betrylium, disopyramide, dofetilide, flecamide, ibutilide, mexiletine, tocainide, procainamide, propafenone, quinidine and sotalol, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the diuretic is selected from the group consisting of furosemide, torasemide, bumetanide, etacrynic acid, azosemide, muzolimine, piretanide, tripamide, bendroflumethazide, chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, hydroflumethiazide, methychlothiazide, polythiazide, trichlormethiazide, chlorthialidone, indapamide, metolazone, quinethazone, etozolin, triamteren and amiloride, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the digitalis glycoside is selected from the group consisting of digoxin, digitoxin, g-strophantin, beta-methyldigoxin and beta-acetyldigoxin, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered together with one or more medicaments selected from the group consisting of one or more ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, one or more diuretics and one or more digitalis glycosides.