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news.Early stage data from three studies has suggested that Eli Lilly and Sankyo's investigational agent prasugrel, inhibits platelets in more people than Bristol-Myers Squibb blockbuster anti-clotting drug Plavix.
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Antiplatelet agents prevent platelets from clumping or sticking together, which can cause formation of blood clots and lead to heart attack or stroke. Recent studies suggest that a relationship may exist between a poor platelet response to antiplatelet agents in individual patients and poor clinical outcomes, which manifest as major adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attacks.
The partnership is conducting studies to confirm whether this more consistent platelet inhibition could have a positive effect on outcomes of patients who have suffered a heart attack or who have unstable angina (heart-related chest pain).
According to the partnership, in the studies all subjects responded to prasugrel, whilst 22% to 43% of the same subjects did not respond to clopidogrel (Plavix), as measured by objectively defined parameters for inhibition of platelet aggregation.
“We are very encouraged by the consistent response rate seen with prasugrel across these three studies,” said Dr Govinda Weerakkody, principal research scientist at Eli Lilly and Company.
The data were presented at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s (CRF) 17th Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, in Washington, DC.