In the Cangrelor versus Standard Therapy to Achieve Optimal Management of Platelet Inhibition (CHAMPION PHOENIX) trial, the intravenous platelet inhibitor cangrelor was tested for its effect on ischemic events associated with PCI. Cangrelor is a potent, fast-acting and reversible agent. Results of the trial were presented at the ACC in San Francisco and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
A total of 11,145 PCI patients were randomized to a bolus and infusion of cangrelor or to a loading dose of clopidogrel. A primary endpoint event — death, MI, ischemia-driven revascularization, or stent thrombosis at 48 hours — occurred in 4.7% of the cangrelor group versus 5.9% of the clopidogrel group (adjusted OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.93; P=0.005). The authors calculated that 84 patients would need to be treated with cangrelor instead of clopidogrel to prevent one primary endpoint event.
Note to readers: Don’t miss this fascinating post on CardioExchange in which CHAMPION PHOENIX co-chair Deepak Bhatt responds to questions raised by Rick Lange and David Hillis in their New England Journal of Medicine editorial.
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