Ticagrelor Trumps Clopidogrel in ACS Patients Slated for Noninvasive Management

The results of yet another prespecified subgroup analysis mimic those of the larger trial.

Note: Ticagrelor has now been approved by the FDA for marketing in the U.S. For a discussion of the response to this approval in the cardiology community, see the recent Voices blog on CardioExchange, an online forum for cardiology news and discussion.

In the PLATO trial, which involved more than 18,000 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), ticagrelor produced a greater reduction in the risk for ischemic events and death than clopidogrel did, without increasing the risk for major bleeding. This result held true both in the overall study population (JW Cardiol Sep 2 2009) and in the patients initially slated for invasive treatment (JW Cardiol Feb 17 2010), but what about those slated for noninvasive treatment?

Researchers conducted a p…

Reviewing Author

Beat J. Meyer, MD

Disclosures

Leadership positions in professional societiesBern Heart Foundation (President); International Academy of Medicine, Bern, Switzerland (Director)

Beat J. Meyer, MD

Disclosures

Leadership positions in professional societiesBern Heart Foundation (President); International Academy of Medicine, Bern, Switzerland (Director)