CardioExchange Archive

April 5th, 2011

MAGELLAN: Higher Bleeding Rates Cloud Rivaroxaban’s Effect in VTE Prevention in Acutely Ill Medical Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

The novel anticoagulant rivaroxaban is successful in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in acutely ill medical patients, but a high bleeding rate means the drug probably won’t be used for this indication. Alexander Cohen, presenting the results of the MAGELLAN trial at the ACC in New Orleans, explained by way of background that 50% to 70% […]

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March 30th, 2011

FDA Warns Against Repackaging Dabigatran

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has issued a safety communication regarding dabigatran (Pradaxa). Because the drug is subject to product breakdown and loss of potency due to moisture, the FDA recommends that it should be dispensed and stored in its original packaging and that consumers avoid using pill boxes or pill organizers with it. Pradaxa is supplied as either […]

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March 22nd, 2011

AHA Releases New Recommendations for Management of Acute VTE

Larry Husten, PHD

The AHA is offering new guidance for the management of patients with pulmonary embolism, iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis, and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. The scientific statement is published online in Circulation. In addition to advice about anticoagulant therapy, the statement offers extensive recommendations about the appropriate use of fibrinolytic agents, catheter-based and surgical interventions, and […]

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March 18th, 2011

Dabigatran Dialogue: Two Experts Answer Our Questions and Yours

Samuel Goldhaber, MD and Elaine Marie Hylek, MD, MPH

In a series of blog posts on CardioExchange, Samuel Goldhaber, Director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group in the Cardiovascular Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been guiding us on best practices around dabigatran. Recently, he teamed up with Elaine Hylek, Director of the Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Service at Boston University School of Medicine, […]

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February 15th, 2011

Dabigatran for Patients with AFib: Putting the Updated Recs into Practice

Samuel Goldhaber, MD

CardioExchange welcomes Samuel Zachary Goldhaber, MD, Director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group and Medical Co-Director of the Anticoagulation Management Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He answers practical questions from the CardioExchange editors about newly updated recommendations on the use of dabigatran in patients with atrial fibrillation, issued by the American College […]

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February 14th, 2011

AF Guidelines Updated to Incorporate Dabigatran

Larry Husten, PHD

Less than two months after the publication of the 2010 updated atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines, the AHA, the ACC, and the HRS have released a new focused update incorporating recommendations and a discussion concerning the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran, which gains a Class I recommendation: Class I: Dabigatran is useful as an alternative to warfarin for […]

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February 10th, 2011

Apixaban Better Than Aspirin for Stroke Prevention in AF Patients Unable to Take Warfarin

Larry Husten, PHD

A new trial presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates that the novel factor Xa inhibitor apixaban is better than aspirin for the prevention of stroke in AF patients who are unable to take warfarin. Stuart Connolly and investigators in the AVERROES (Apixaban […]

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January 20th, 2011

Braunwald: Vorapaxar Problem Based on Intracranial Bleeding in Patients with History of Stroke

Larry Husten, PHD

A key detail has now emerged about the problems encountered with vorapaxar, Merck’s thrombin receptor antagonist that suffered a large setback last week. TIMI investigators in the TRA-2P TIMI 50 trial have been informed by Eugene Braunwald that the reason vorapaxar would be discontinued in patients who experienced a stroke prior to entry or during the trial […]

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January 13th, 2011

Merck’s Thrombin Receptor Antagonist Suffers Major Setback

Larry Husten, PHD

Merck’s thrombin receptor antagonist, vorapaxar, has suffered a major setback in its clinical trial program. In one trial, TRACER, the study drug is being discontinued and the trial will be closed out. The second trial, TRA-2P TIMI 50, is being curtailed but not stopped. The actions were based on recommendations from the combined Data and […]

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January 3rd, 2011

PLATO CABG Substudy Raises Hope and Questions

Larry Husten, PHD

The much-anticipated CABG substudy from the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) trial comparing ticagrelor to clopidogrel in ACS patients has been published online in JACC. About 10% of the 18,624 patients enrolled in  PLATO underwent CABG. The substudy reports on the 1,261 who received the study drug within 7 days prior to their surgery. […]

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