Explore the vast range of titles available.

A randomized trial involving patients with acute coronary syndromes showed that prasugrel was superior to ticagrelor with regard to the incidence of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke within 1 year, with no increased risk of bleeding.

Current guidelines recommend potent platelet inhibition with ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients after an acute coronary syndrome. However, data about optimal platelet inhibition in older patients are scarce. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of clopidogrel compared with ticagrelor or prasugrel in older patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We did the open-label, randomised controlled POPular AGE trial in 12 sites (ten hospitals and two university hospitals) in the Netherlands. Patients aged 70 years or older with NSTE-ACS were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using an internet-based randomisation procedure with block sizes of six to receive a loading dose of clopidogrel 300 mg or 600 mg, or ticagrelor 180 mg or prasugrel 60 mg, and then a maintenance dose for the duration of 12 months (clopidogrel 75 mg once daily, ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily, or prasugrel 10 mg once daily) on top of standard care. Patient and treating physicians were aware of the allocated treatment strategy, but the outcome assessors were masked to treatment allocation. Primary bleeding outcome consisted of PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO; major or minor bleeding [superiority hypothesis]). Co-primary net clinical benefit outcome consisted of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, PLATO major and minor bleeding (non-inferiority hypothesis, margin of 2%). Follow-up duration was 12 months. Analyses were done on intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with the Netherlands Trial Register (NL3804), ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02317198), and EudraCT (2013–001403–37). Between June 10, 2013, and Oct 17, 2018, 1002 patients were randomly assigned to clopidogrel (n=500) or ticagrelor or prasugrel (n=502). Because 475 (95%) patients received ticagrelor in the ticagrelor or prasugrel group, we will refer to this group as the ticagrelor group. Premature discontinuation of the study drug occurred in 238 (47%) of 502 ticagrelor group patients randomly assigned to ticagrelor, and in 112 (22%) of 500 patients randomly assigned to clopidogrel. Primary bleeding outcome was significantly lower in the clopidogrel group (88 [18%] of 500 patients) than in the ticagrelor group (118 [24%] of 502; hazard ratio 0·71, 95% CI 0·54 to 0·94; p=0·02 for superiority). Co-primary net clinical benefit outcome was non-inferior for the use of clopidogrel (139 [28%]) versus ticagrelor (161 [32%]; absolute risk difference −4%, 95% CI −10·0 to 1·4; p=0·03 for non-inferiority). The most important reasons for discontinuation were occurrence of bleeding (n=38), dyspnoea (n=40), and the need for treatment with oral anticoagulation (n=35). In patients aged 70 years or older presenting with NSTE-ACS, clopidogrel is a favourable alternative to ticagrelor, because it leads to fewer bleeding events without an increase in the combined endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and bleeding. Clopidogrel could be an alternative P2Y12 inhibitor especially for elderly patients with a higher bleeding risk. ZonMw.

Background Morphine decreases the concentrations and effects of clopidogrel, which could lead to treatment failure in myocardial infarction. Objectives To clarify whether more potent P2Y 12 -inhibitors may provide an effective alternative, we examined drug–drug interactions between morphine and prasugrel. Methods Twelve healthy volunteers received 60 mg prasugrel with placebo or 5 mg morphine intravenously in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Pharmacokinetics were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, and prasugrel effects were measured by platelet function tests. Results Morphine neither diminished total drug exposure (AUC), which was the primary endpoint, nor significantly delayed drug absorption of prasugrel. However, morphine reduced maximal plasma concentrations ( C max ) of prasugrel active metabolite by 31 % ( p  = 0.019). Morphine slightly, but not significantly, delayed the onset of maximal inhibition of platelet plug formation under high shear rates (30 vs. 20 min). Whole blood aggregation was not influenced. Conclusions Although morphine significantly decreases the maximal plasma concentrations of prasugrel active metabolite, it does not diminish its effects on platelets to a clinically relevant degree in healthy volunteers. However, it should be considered that the observed decrease in C max of prasugrel active metabolite caused by morphine co-administration may gain relevance in STEMI patients. Clinical Trial Registration : NCT01369186, EUDRA-CT#: 2010-023761-22.

Current guidelines recommend potent platelet inhibition with prasugrel or ticagrelor for 12 months after an acute coronary syndrome managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the greatest anti-ischaemic benefit of potent antiplatelet drugs over the less potent clopidogrel occurs early, while most excess bleeding events arise during chronic treatment. Hence, a stage-adapted treatment with potent platelet inhibition in the acute phase and de-escalation to clopidogrel in the maintenance phase could be an alternative approach. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of early de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment from prasugrel to clopidogrel guided by platelet function testing (PFT). In this investigator-initiated, randomised, open-label, assessor-blinded, multicentre trial (TROPICAL-ACS) done at 33 sites in Europe, patients were enrolled if they had biomarker-positive acute coronary syndrome with successful PCI and a planned duration of dual antiplatelet treatment of 12 months. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using an internet-based randomisation procedure with a computer-generated block randomisation with stratification across study sites to either standard treatment with prasugrel for 12 months (control group) or a step-down regimen (1 week prasugrel followed by 1 week clopidogrel and PFT-guided maintenance therapy with clopidogrel or prasugrel from day 14 after hospital discharge; guided de-escalation group). The assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was net clinical benefit (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or bleeding grade 2 or higher according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC]) criteria) 1 year after randomisation (non-inferiority hypothesis; margin of 30%). Analysis was intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01959451, and EudraCT, 2013-001636-22. Between Dec 2, 2013, and May 20, 2016, 2610 patients were assigned to study groups; 1304 to the guided de-escalation group and 1306 to the control group. The primary endpoint occurred in 95 patients (7%) in the guided de-escalation group and in 118 patients (9%) in the control group (pnon-inferiority=0·0004; hazard ratio [HR] 0·81 [95% CI 0·62–1·06], psuperiority=0·12). Despite early de-escalation, there was no increase in the combined risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke in the de-escalation group (32 patients [3%]) versus in the control group (42 patients [3%]; pnon-inferiority=0·0115). There were 64 BARC 2 or higher bleeding events (5%) in the de-escalation group versus 79 events (6%) in the control group (HR 0·82 [95% CI 0·59–1·13]; p=0·23). Guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment was non-inferior to standard treatment with prasugrel at 1 year after PCI in terms of net clinical benefit. Our trial shows that early de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment can be considered as an alternative approach in patients with acute coronary syndrome managed with PCI. Klinikum der Universität München, Roche Diagnostics, Eli Lilly, and Daiichi Sankyo.

PurposeAsians often face the problems of clopidogrel resistance and East Asian paradox. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of P2Y12 inhibitors, including low-dose prasugrel 2.5 mg, on the P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) in the chronic phase after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).MethodsA total of 348 patients were studied. PRU was measured 6–12 months after PCI and subsequently, 6 months later using a P2Y12 assay, respectively. This study evaluated the proportion of bleeding risk (PRU ≤ 85) and ischemic risk (PRU ≥ 239) as primary endpoints, and the prediction of bleeding risk and ischemic risk using multivariable logistic regression analysis.ResultsAt baseline, 136 patients (39%) received prasugrel 3.75 mg, 48 patients (14%) received prasugrel 2.5 mg, and 164 patients (47%) received clopidogrel 75 mg. Clopidogrel 75 mg had a significantly higher proportion of ischemic risk within one year after PCI than the other groups, and was an independent predictor for ischemic risk with reference of prasugrel 3.75 mg. In addition, switching from clopidogrel 75 mg to prasugrel 2.5 mg significantly lowered and aggregated the PRU value. Whereas, dose reduction of prasugrel had a significantly lower proportion of bleeding risk over one year after PCI than the continuation of prasugrel 3.75 mg, and was an independent predictor for bleeding risk with reference of continuation of prasugrel 3.75 mg.ConclusionsPrasugrel 2.5 mg has a lower ischemic risk and a more stable PRU value compared with clopidogrel treatment. Prasugrel also contributes to a decline in bleeding risk with concomitant dose reduction.Trial RegistrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN), ID: UMIN000029541, Date: October 16, 2017 (https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000033395).

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who have concomitant peripheral artery disease (PAD) represent a subgroup at high risk of subsequent ischaemic events. This post hoc analysis of PRAGUE-18, a multicenter, randomised trial comparing prasugrel versus ticagrelor in primary PCI, analysed the effect of symptomatic PAD and intensity of antithrombotic therapy on the prognosis of AMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). During 12-month follow-up, de-escalation from intensive antiplatelet therapy to clopidogrel was allowed with the permission of the treating physician for economic reasons. Symptomatic PAD was present in 2.9% of the study population (n = 1230). The presence of PAD did not significantly affect short-term outcome. At one year, the risk of death was higher in patients with concomitant PAD, 49 (4.1%) vs. 6(16.7%), HR 4.211 (1.803–9.830); p = 0,001. All-cause mortality significantly increased only in subgroup of patients who de-escalated to clopidogrel [6.37 (2.16–18.84), p = 0.001] as opposed to those who did not [3.02 (0.72–12.61), p = 0.13]. These findings suggest that long-term intensive antithrombotic therapy may be particularly important for post-AMI patients with concomitant symptomatic PAD and warrant further investigation.

Background Carriers of cytochrome 2C19 (CYP2C19) loss-of-function (LoF) alleles treated with clopidogrel have impaired drug metabolism, resulting in reduced active metabolite levels, high platelet reactivity (HPR), and an increased risk of thrombotic events. Several alternative antiplatelet therapies have been proposed to overcome HPR in these patients, but their comparative effects remain poorly explored. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different oral antiplatelet therapies in carriers of CYP2C19 LoF alleles undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) were included. A frequentist network meta-analysis was conducted to estimate mean difference (MD) or odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The primary outcome was platelet reactivity assessed by VerifyNow and reported as P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU). The secondary outcome was the rate of HPR. Standard dose of clopidogrel (75 mg daily) was used as a reference treatment. Results A total of 12 RCTs testing 6 alternative strategies (i.e. clopidogrel 150 mg, prasugrel 3.75 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg, ticagrelor 90 mg bid, and adjunctive cilostazol 100 mg bid) were included in the network. Compared with standard-dose clopidogrel, the greatest reduction in PRU was observed with prasugrel 10 mg (MD −127.91; 95% CI −141.04; −114.78) and ticagrelor 90 mg bid (MD −124.91; 95% CI −161.78; −88.04), followed by prasugrel 5 mg (MD −76.33; 95% CI −98.01; −54.65) and prasugrel 3.75 mg (MD −73.00; 95% CI −100.28; −45.72). Among other strategies, adjunctive cilostazol (MD −42.64; 95% CI −64.72; −20.57) and high-dose clopidogrel (MD −32.11; 95% CI −51.33; −12.90) were associated with a modest reduction in PRU compared with standard-dose clopidogrel. Conclusion Among carriers of CYP2C19 LoF alleles undergoing PCI, standard-dose prasugrel or ticagrelor are most effective in reducing platelet reactivity, while double-dose clopidogrel and additional cilostazol showed modest effects. Reduced-dose of prasugrel may represent a balanced strategy to overcome HPR without a significant increase in bleeding. The clinical implications of these pharmacodynamic findings warrant further investigation. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the safety, efficacy, and clinical outcomes of stent-assisted coiling (SAC) and flow diversion (FD) with hydrophilic polymer-coated (HPC) devices under prasugrel single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) in the treatment of acutely ruptured wide-neck intracranial aneurysms.MethodsThis multicenter retrospective case series included patients with ruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms treated through SAC or FD with HPC-coated devices under SAPT at four specialized neurovascular centers. Baseline demographics, aneurysm characteristics, procedural details, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. The primary outcomes included technical success, periprocedural complications, aneurysm occlusion rates at follow-up (FU), and functional outcomes assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).ResultsA total of 46 patients were included (mean age 57.4 years). SAC and FD were performed in equal proportions. Technical success was achieved in 100% of cases. The immediate complete occlusion rate was significantly higher for SAC (95.7%) than FD (21.7%, p < 0.001). However, the occlusion rates at 12-month FU were comparable (SAC 100% vs. FD 95%, p = 0.364). The overall periprocedural complication rate was low (4.3%), and mortality before discharge was 10.9%. Favorable functional outcomes (mRS ≤ 2) at the last FU were achieved in 84% of patients, and no significant differences were observed between the SAC and FD groups.ConclusionSAC and FD with HPC-coated devices under prasugrel SAPT appeared to be safe and effective in treating ruptured wide-neck aneurysms. Whereas SAC achieved higher immediate occlusion rates, the long-term outcomes were comparable between groups. These findings support the feasibility of SAPT in this high-risk population and warrant further prospective validation.