Plavix & Aspirin

Researchers report: a combination of a cheap heart drug Plavix and aspirin is to promote a tremendous progress in treatment of heart diseases.
 
Tests show a mentioned drug combination may increase chances of survival of patients with severe heart diseases by 30%.
 
Both aspirin and Plavix (clopidogrel) have long been used to treat patients suffering from heart diseases. However, separately each of them gave no significant effect. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new additional indication for an antiplatelet drug Plavix (clopidogrel bisulphate) to reduce total mortality and frequency of combined outcome (re-infarction, stroke or death) in patients with acute myocardial infarction, with increased ST segment (STEMI).
 
STEMI is a severe acute heart attack, in which coronary artery is completely blocked. This blockage is caused by formation of a blood clot in the arteries, resulting in a threatening complication of an underlying disease, known as atherothrombosis. Nevertheless, the effect for patients undergoing primary angioplasty is still unknown. FDA approval was based on results of two clinical tests involving more than 48,000 people. Patients treated with a combination of Plavix and aspirin were compared to those receiving placebo, aspirin and standard therapy.
 
Clopidogrel represents a prescription antiplatelet medicine, taken once a day. It prevents circulating blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. Since its first approval on November 17, 1997 by the Food and Drug Administration, Plavix was prescribed to more than 52 million patients worldwide.
 
Clinical trials involving more than 100,000 patients confirmed the drug’s efficacy and safety. Worldwide marketing of Plavix is controlled by Sanofi-aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, under the trade names of Plavix and Iscover.
 
Suffer from stomach ulcer or other disease that causes bleeding? Better avoid taking clopidogrel. Taken separately or combined with certain medicines, including aspirin, Plavix may elevate the risk of bleeding. To minimize it, consult your doctor before the drug administration.
 
Results of the two major researches represent a unique advance for patients who survived a severe heart attack. A new indication for clopidogrel provides clinicians with a new opportunity to reduce the risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke or death in STEMI patients.