BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical trials have established the benefits of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition in the management of coronary artery disease. In contrast, the recent large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials of the oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists have failed to provide commensurate reductions in late composite ischemic end points despite potent inhibition of platelet aggregation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The ORs for death, myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization, and major bleeding from the 4 large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were calculated and combined. Stratification by low-dose or high-dose therapy and the use of concurrent aspirin was also undertaken. In 33 326 patients followed for >30 days, a consistent and statistically significant increase in mortality was observed with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa therapy (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.66; P:=0.001). This effect was evident regardless of aspirin coadministration and treatment with either low-dose or high-dose therapy. Although a reduction in urgent revascularization was observed with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition, pooled analysis favored an increase in myocardial infarction that did not demonstrate statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found a highly significant excess in mortality consistent across 4 trials with 3 different oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor agents, this was associated with a reduction in the need for urgent revascularization and no increase in myocardial infarction. These findings suggest the potential for a direct toxic effect with these agents and argue against a prothrombotic mechanism. Further investigation to elucidate the cause of this increased fatality risk is warranted.
BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical trials have established the benefits of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition in the management of coronary artery disease. In contrast, the recent large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials of the oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists have failed to provide commensurate reductions in late composite ischemic end points despite potent inhibition of platelet aggregation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The ORs for death, myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization, and major bleeding from the 4 large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were calculated and combined. Stratification by low-dose or high-dose therapy and the use of concurrent aspirin was also undertaken. In 33 326 patients followed for >30 days, a consistent and statistically significant increase in mortality was observed with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa therapy (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.66; P:=0.001). This effect was evident regardless of aspirin coadministration and treatment with either low-dose or high-dose therapy. Although a reduction in urgent revascularization was observed with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition, pooled analysis favored an increase in myocardial infarction that did not demonstrate statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found a highly significant excess in mortality consistent across 4 trials with 3 different oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor agents, this was associated with a reduction in the need for urgent revascularization and no increase in myocardial infarction. These findings suggest the potential for a direct toxic effect with these agents and argue against a prothrombotic mechanism. Further investigation to elucidate the cause of this increased fatality risk is warranted.
Authors: Jieqing Zhu; Jianghai Zhu; Ana Negri; Davide Provasi; Marta Filizola; Barry S Coller; Timothy A Springer Journal: Blood Date: 2010-08-02 Impact factor: 22.113
Authors: Mohd Hafeez Faridi; Mehmet M Altintas; Camilo Gomez; Juan Camilo Duque; Roberto I Vazquez-Padron; Vineet Gupta Journal: Biochim Biophys Acta Date: 2013-02-26