ResMed heart attack trial stopped after putting patients at risk

Bad news. Might be a bit of panic selling tomorrow but may also be an opportunity to buy in at a lower price.

"
Medical device maker ResMed has put an early stop to a major clinical trial that sought to show its sleep therapy products protected heart attack victims, because of early signs it was actually putting their lives at further risk.
The shock clinical trial result will be a major disappointment for ResMed investors who were counting on a positive result to open the door for the company to play a role in the treatment of heart failure, which costs the US government alone $US35 billion each year.
The $12 billion company, which is dual listed on the Australian and New York stock exchanges, sells ventilation machines and masks that treat sufferers of sleep apnoea. The device delivers a continuous flow of air, sometimes called adaptive servo-ventilation, to prevent airway obstruction in sufferers, which results in interrupted sleep and chronic snoring.
The company began a trial in September 2013 to see if its sleep therapy would provide an extra benefit to people who had suffered a heart attack or stroke. The 1325-person trial across Europe and the United States, known as SERVE-HF, sought to show that the therapy would leave patients more likely to avoid death, or hospital visits, due to heart failure complications. Heart failure is caused when the muscles in the heart are too weak to pump blood around the body effectively.
However in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, ResMed said patients who received the therapy showed an increased risk of death. "


http://www.smh.com.au/business/resm...putting-patients-at-risk-20150513-gh10qs.html