The approval of a new antiplatelet drug which will eventually become a competitor with clopidogrel (Plavix) has been delayed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new drug, ticagrelor, was recently approved in Europe. The drug has received quite a bit of coverage in the lay press here in the U.S.

The FDA has asked for further evaluation of the PLATO trial which is a study conducted on 18,000 patients in 43 countries around the world to evaluate the new drug. In the 1,814 patients studied in the U.S. and Canada the outcome was worse in the patients taking ticagrelor as compared to clopidogrel (Plavix).

A spokesperson for drug company AstraZeneca says that the company remains confident that the drug will be approved. bjmdjd

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antiplatelet drug · AstraZeneca · clopidogrel · PLATO trial · Plavix · ticagrelor

As I mentioned recently on a radio program that I record, stents are usually placed after a  balloon angioplasty procedure. It’s also important to have these patients be put on anti platelet drugs immediately. Most people refer to these anti platelet medications as blood thinners (though this is not exactly correct). The most popular one available by prescription is clopidogrel (Plavix).

Research published in the April 20, 2010 online edition of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes reported that patients who had a drug eluding stent placed and delayed in filling their prescription for clopidogrel had much higher rates of death/heart attack during the follow up period.

The reasons for filling the prescriptions were varied but showed how important discharge planning is for many patients after hospitalization. Money is not always the determining factor as many patients have co-morbid conditions and transportation problems that may delay their going to the pharmacy.  bjmdjd

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Circulation Journal · clopidogrel · drug eluding stents · Plavix