Gary,

Thanks for your question.  Ranexa was release in January 2006 and is used in treatment of chronic angina (cardiac chest pain).  It is meant to be used in conjunction with other available medication.  Its mechanism of action is poorly understood, but helps to reduce the frequency of angina attacks. 

I've not seen any FDA warnings or articles to indicate any concerns about the efficacy and safety of Ranexa.  I can tell you that when new drugs are released, doctors are flooded with samples to encourage their use and future prescriptions.  As time goes by, the amount of samples usually declines and in some cases, stops all together.  It should be alright to ask your doctor about this during your next visit.  Perhaps he was has been out of samples when you were there.

Best wishes.

Martin Cane, M.D.