- Safety & Recalls
- Regulatory Updates
- Drug Coverage
- COPD
- Cardiovascular
- Obstetrics-Gynecology & Women's Health
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Pediatrics
- Urology
- Pharmacy
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- Allergy, Immunology, and ENT
- Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology
- Respiratory
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
- Dermatology
- Oncology
Vorapaxar may reduce heart attack and stroke, but raises bleeding risk
Vorapaxar added to standard of care reduced the risk of cardiovascular events and stroke compared to standard of care alone, according to Merck, who announced top-line results of its TRA-2P (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist in Secondary Prevention of atherothrombotic ischemic events) study earlier this month. However, results also demonstrated that the drug was associated with a significant increase in bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).
Vorapaxar added to standard of care reduced the risk of cardiovascular events and stroke compared to standard of care alone, according to Merck, who announced top-line results of its TRA-2P (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist in Secondary Prevention of atherothrombotic ischemic events) study earlier this month. However, results also demonstrated that the drug was associated with a significant increase in bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).
Vorapaxar is an investigational oral Protease Activated Receptor 1 (PAR-1) thrombin receptor antagonist which Merck has developed for the prevention of thrombosis and the reduction of cardiovascular events.
The TRA-2P trial, which began in September 2007 and completed in December 2011, was designed to determine whether the addition of vorapaxar to standard of care for patients with a known history of heart attack, ischemic stroke, or peripheral artery disease would decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke compared with standard of care alone. The study also looked at whether vorapaxar, when added to standard of care, increased the risk of bleeding.
The results of TRA-2P follow the reported results of a study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute, presented in 2011 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and published in the January 5, 2012 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, called TRACER (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist for Clinical Event Reduction in Acute Coronary Syndrome), focused on whether the addition of vorapaxar to standard of care would better prevent heart attack and stroke in patients with acute coronary artery syndrome compared with standard of care alone. TRACER was halted at the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring board after an unplanned safety review demonstrated a non-significant reduction in its primary end points. At the same time, it was recommended that the company discontinue the treatment for patients in the TRA-2P study who had previously experienced a stroke.
The full results of TRA-2P will be presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions this month, and Merck will continue to review the data from both trials.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
