3/5/2010 (Press Release)

The ARITMO project researches the risk of arrhythmia that may be caused by some antipsychotic, antihistamine and anti-infective drugs

Jordi Mestres, head of Chemogenomics Laboratory of GRIB (IMIM-UPF) is an important participant in this project financed with 2.7 million euros by the European Commission.

ARITMO arose out of the need to identify not only which medications prolong the QT interval, but also those that can cause serious side effects as well as discover the factors that are associated with this risk. The project, which will last a total of 36 months, will analyse the arrhythmogenic potential of more than 250 antipsychotic, antihistamine and anti-infective drug compounds on the initiative of the European Medicines Agency Pharmaco-Surveillance Group. The medical data of more than 27 million Europeans will be analysed. The objective of the project is to provide doctors with better guidance when making drug prescription decisions.