Drug shows promise in reducing ischemia
Drug shows promise in reducing ischemia
Recent studies led by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions show that the new drug integrelin is more effective than aspirin in reducing ischemia and the resulting threat of heart attack caused by blood clots.
Patients who received high intravenous doses of integrelin had significantly fewer and shorter ischemic episodes than those receiving aspirin. Ischemia occurred in 10% of the high-dose group, 20% of the low-dose group, and 21% of the aspirin group.
The study, which involved 227 patients, showed that women may benefit more from the drug than men. Women receiving the drug had eight times fewer and shorter (10 minutes vs. 80 minutes on average) angina attacks than women receiving aspirin. There was no difference between men receiving high or low doses of integrelin and aspirin.
In addition, there was no increase in clotting once patients were taken off integrelin.
Integrelin has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to John Cramer of the Johns Hopkins office of public affairs.
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