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

1. A method for reducing heart size in a patient suffering from heart failure comprising:

administering to the patient suffering from heart failure at least one medicament comprising a therapeutically effective amount of pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the heart failure is accompanied by an increase of heart size and deterioration of cardiac function for the patient, and the patient is a mammal selected from the group consisting of a dog, a cat and a horse; and

reducing the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient in response to said administration of said at least one medicament to the patient.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the administration of the at least one medicament is free from administering pimobendan with a combination of furosemide, enalapril and digoxin.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heart failure is chronic congestive heart failure, heart failure due to myocardial infarction or myocardial ischemia due to worsening angina or cardiac arrest.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the heart failure is chronic congestive heart failure, heart failure due to myocardial infarction or myocardial ischemia due to worsening angina or cardiac arrest.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient is a dog.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein reducing the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient in response to said administration of said at least one medicament to the patient comprises reducing the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient by 0.05 to 0.25 vertebrae within 10 to 100 days of the administration.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein reducing the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient in response to said administration of said at least one medicament to the patient comprises reducing the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient by 0.05 to 0.25 vertebrae within 10 to 100 days of the administration.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is utilized in oral or parenteral form.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is utilized in oral or parenteral form.

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

11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in a daily dose from 10 μg/kg to 10 mg/kg.

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

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in a single daily dose.

14. The method according to 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 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.

15. The method according to claim 2 , 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 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.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the calcium channel blocker is selected from the group consisting of diltiazem, verapamil and felodipine, and combinations thereof.

17. The method according to claim 14 , 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.

18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the beta blocker is selected from the group consisting of bisoprolol, carvediol, metoprolol, propranolol and timolol, and combinations thereof.

19. The method according to claim 14 , 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.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the aldosterone antagonist is selected from the group consisting of spironolactone, eplerenone, canrenone and potassium canrenone, and combinations thereof.

21. The method according to claim 14 , 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.

22. The method according to claim 14 , 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.

23. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the digitalis glycoside is selected from the group consisting of digoxin, digitoxin, g-strophantin, beta-methyldigoxin and beta-acetyldigoxin, and combinations thereof.

24. The method according to 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 inhibitors, one or more diuretics and one or more digitalis glycosides.

25. The method according to claim 2 , 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 inhibitors, one or more diuretics and one or more digitalis glycosides.

26. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient after said administration.

27. A method for reducing heart size in a patient suffering from heart failure comprising:

administering to the patient suffering from heart failure at least one medicament comprising a therapeutically effective amount of pimobendan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the heart failure is accompanied by an increase of heart size and deterioration of cardiac function for the patient, and the patient is a mammal selected from the group consisting of a dog, a cat and a horse; and

measuring the relative mean vertebral heart sum (VHS) of the patient after a period of administration, wherein the VHS of the patient is reduced in response to said administration of said at least one medicament to the patient.