Novartis drugs fail to help high-risk patients

* Starlix fails to slow progression to diabetes

* Diovan reduces progression to diabetes by 14 percent

ATLANTA, March 14 (Reuters) - The Novartis (NOVN.VX) diabetes drug Starlix failed to reduce progression to the disease or cut down on serious heart problems in patients at high risk for both diabetes and heart disease, according to a large study released on Sunday.

The 9,306-patient study tested Starlix, known chemically as nateglinide, and the big-selling Novartis blood pressure medicine Diovan.

Diovan, known chemically as valsartan, reduced progression to diabetes by 14 percent compared to a placebo but failed to reduce the risk of serious heart problems, such as heart attack and stroke, according to researchers who presented the data at the American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in Atlanta.

The failure of Starlix to provide benefit to these patients and lack of heart impact by Diovan came as a surprise to researchers.

Starlix works by minimizing spikes in blood sugar after meals by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin.

"Most experts believed that nateglinide would prevent diabetes and that valsartan would reduce cardiovascular events in this population," said Dr. Robert Califf, the study's lead investigator. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot and Debra Sherman; editing by Paul Simao)