body{font-family:arial} h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,h7,h8{font-family: arial} :link{color:(#7f7f56);}/*for unvisited links*/ :visited{color:(#ffffac);}/*for visited links*/ -->

Friday, March 23, 2012

EXPERIMENTAL DRUG CUT HEART ATTACK RISK, BUT INCREASED BLEEDING

The Wall Street Journal (2/8, Loftus, Subscription Publication) reports that Merck's experimental anticlotting medication vorapaxar cut heart attack risk, but increased the risk of bleeding in a clinical trial. The findings are scheduled to be presented at an American College of Cardiology conference next month.

The AP (2/8) reports, "A year ago, the same bleeding problem led safety monitors to halt a late-stage study of vorapaxar called TRACER. That international study included nearly 13,000 patients who had had a heart attack or severe chest pain from clogged arteries." Also covering the story were Reuters (2/8) and MedPage Today (2/8, Kaiser

POSTED BY BRIAN D. WILLIAMSON, MD

No comments:

Post a Comment