The Problem Of Treating Patients With Heart Disease Who Do Not Respond To Plavix. Part 3 of 3

After six months, 2,3 percent of those taking either the higher or the tone down dose suffered heart attacks, experienced blood clots in their stents, or died, the researchers report. Those taking the higher dose of the blood-thinner didn’t have any worse bleeding than those taking the regulatory dose, indicating that the higher dose of Plavix in this group of patients wasn’t any less safe. The study was sponsored by Accumetrics, which makes VerifyNow, a test used to barometer platelet function.

The makers of Plavix, Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb provided the drug, and lead investigator Price also disclosed ties with pharmaceutical companies. “The trial does not support a therapy strategy of high dose clopidogrel in – patients with high-risk reactivity identified by a single platelet test”. Still, Prasad said that higher risk patient populations may for to be studied before drawing any firm conclusions about dosing. “Or maybe we need a more potent drug”.

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