Friday, March 13, 2009

New drug could offer blood clot prevention with less risk of bleeding
By Kelly Winget, DCRI Communications

A new drug appears to be able to safely block clot formation while at the same time helping to repair damaged tissue, according to a study led by DCRI researchers.

The Phase II study indicates that a new drug, derived from magnolia trees, could provide a better way to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of bleeding complications in patients who have blocked coronary arteries.

The DCRI's Richard Becker, MD, led the study, and the results appear online in The Lancet and will appear in the March 14 print issue.

Researchers studied the safety and patients' ability to tolerate the investigational compound SCH 530348. The drug works in a unique way in that it separates the two main functions of the protein thrombin. Thrombin activates platelets to form clots, and it also helps to create a protein that is used to repair damaged tissue. The drug prevents the platelet formation but allows thrombin to still produce the protein that repairs tissue.

Blood clots are a significant concern for patients who need to have blocked arteries opened up and widened with stents. Patients are often prescribed aspirin or clopidgrel to prevent clotting, but because the blood isn't properly clotting, these drugs can also increase the risk of bleeding complications.

For the study, researchers randomized more than 1,000 patients to receive either a placebo or one of three doses of SCH 530348. Although aspirin and clopidogrel were not mandated for the study, sites were told to follow standard practice and 95 percent of patients were given both.

Researchers found that patients generally tolerated the drug at all three dose levels and did not have an increase in bleeding. Taking the drug in combination with aspirin and clopidogrel also did not increase bleeding.

An international Phase III trial is already in progress.

Other DCRI co-authors include Bob Harrington, MD, Karen Pieper, and Diane Joseph.