Although cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, their pharmacotherapy
remains suboptimal. Thus, there is a clear unmet need to develop more effective and
safer pharmacological strategies. In this review, we summarize the most relevant advances
in cardiovascular pharmacology in 2023, including the approval of first-in-class drugs
that open new avenues for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
and heart failure. The new indications of drugs already marketed (repurposing) for
the treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypercholesterolemia, type
2 diabetes, obesity and heart failure, the impact of polypharmacy on guideline-directed
drug use is highlighted as well as results from negative clinical trials. Finally,
we end with a summary of the most important phase 2 and 3 clinical trials assessing
the efficacy and safety of cardiovascular drugs under development for the prevention
and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
