Dronedarone: a new option in atrial fibrillation

Many antiarrhythmic agents exploiting new mechanisms of action (as well as modified analogues of traditional antiarrhythmic drugs, with different combinations of ion channel‐ and receptor‐blocking effects and less complicated metabolic profiles) are currently being investigated. Dronedarone is an amiodarone derivative that is devoid of iodine atoms and is believed to have a better safety profile than amiodarone. It is the only antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) that has been shown to improve survival in high‐risk patients. This review provides a contemporary insight into the clinical development of dronedarone, its efficacy and safety in preventing recurrent AF, and its potential additional advantage of improving outcome in patients with AF. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.