ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS, THEIR RANGE OF APPLICATION AND ADVANTAGES OF MODERN ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS

Arrhythmias of the heart continue to be a leading cause of deathand disability. Despite their limited efficacy and the possibility of serious adverseproarrhythmic effects, antiarrhythmic medications (AADs) and antiarrhythmicagents continue to be a mainstay of modern cardiac arrhythmia treatment. Thenumber of new antiarrhythmic targets and drugs in the development pipeline hassignificantly declined over the past few decades due to conceptual, regulatory, andeconomical factors. There are still a number of intriguing options, though, and therehave been some exciting advancements in the repurposing and reformulation ofalready-approved medications for use in cardiac arrhythmia-related diseases. Thisreview outlines new compounds and formulations currently in clinical developmentfor the rhythm regulation of atrial fibrillation, examines the important conceptualissues for the development of new antiarrhythmic medications, and emphasizes thepossibility of therapeutic repurposing. Lastly, the topic of future directions for AADdevelopment is covered. These factors, along with a growing knowledge of themolecular mechanisms behind cardiac arrhythmias, contribute to a cautiouslyhopeful view of better pharmacological therapy options for individuals with cardiacarrhythmias.