Watching drug manufacturers duke it out over competing products is like watching a tragic comedy - you don't know whether to laugh or to cry. Witness the latest antics in the fight over the wildly profitable market for anti-platelet drugs currently dominated by clopidogrel.
Clopidogrel (Plavix most notably) has been around for years as a first line anti-thrombotic with indications for use in numerous cardiovascular conditions including post-surgically after stent implantation. Given its age it has also been studied extensively and all its warts are well-known.
Most comic is the fight for dominance between clopidogrel and prasugrel. I say comic for one major reason - prasugrel is still under investigation - you can't even get it in the US at this point. But this hasn't stopped the marketers from attempting to pit it against clopidogrel which goes off-patent in 2011.
The latest "hit job" on clopidogrel comes from analysis based on the TRITON-TIMI 38 trial. Researchers dicovered that there are several common gene variants among patients receiving clopidogrel that may reduce its effectiveness thereby increasing the risk of subsequent heart attack, stroke, and mortality. What was conveniently NOT CONCLUDED was whether simply taking more clopidogrel could overcome this reduced response.
Now guess who is a major sponsor of the TRITON-TIMI 38 trial? If you guessed Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly, the two co-developers of prasugrel, you win today's Sherlock Holmes award! Now, do you suppose anybody has studied whether certain gene variants affect the efficaciousness of prasugrel - not yet - but you have to wonder what the folks at Bristol-Meyers (the holder of the Plavix patent) are working on.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good fight. Let the druggies battle it out. But as consumers we need to cast a watchful eye over the message. Prasugrel is not even FDA approved yet and there are no long-term studies on it. Who know what warts may pop up. Your genetics may indeed sway you away from clopidogrel one day but don't think it is without its own, at present, hidden warts.
The devil you know may be better than the devil you do not. Of course, here is where I plug informed, self-directed health care programs like Track Your Plaque which offer tangible results in preventing and reversing heart disease. The ONLY real solution is to never need clopidogrel OR prasugrel in the first place!
Looking out for your heart health,
HeartHawk
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Clopidogrel vs Prasugrel: The Arguments are Getting Thin
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thats true clopidrogel seems to be better than aspirin and aspirin+clopi combination.
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well this is not a new theme, all the time different brands reach high levels of rivalry, but this two has reach a dead level, all the money invested in the marketing campaign is totally insane.
Clopidogrel vs Prasugrel is a great duel because they are so important to many people and both have advantages and disadvantages.
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