Extended benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy after one year is proven in study

New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that while dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended after coronary stenting to prevent thrombotic complications, the benefits and risks of treatment beyond one year are still uncertain.

The study looked at patients who had undergone a coronary stent procedure in which a drug-eluting stent was placed. After 12 months of treatment with a thienopyridine drug (clopidogrel – French drug major Sanofi’s now off-patent Plavix, or prasugrel – Eli Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo’s Efient) and aspirin, patients were randomly assigned to continue receiving thienopyridine treatment or to receive placebo for another 18 months; all patients continued receiving aspirin. The co-primary efficacy end points were stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) during the period from 12 to 30 months. The primary safety end point was moderate or severe bleeding.

Study details