AstraZeneca Antiplatelet Drug Prevents Cardiovascular Events After Heart Attack

AstraZeneca announced today that a study evaluating ticagrelor (Brilinta) for the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events in patients with a history of heart attacks has met its primary efficacy endpoint.

The PEGASUS-TIMI 54 study was a part of AstraZeneca’s PARTHENON program, which aims to assess how atherothrombotic conditions can be treated with ticagrelor, a platelet aggregation inhibitor.

The research team behind PEGASUS-TIMI 54 compared both 60 mg and 90 mg doses of twice-daily ticagrelor plus low-dose aspirin with placebo plus low-dose aspirin in patients aged >50 years who had experienced a myocardial infarction 1 to 3 years prior to the start of the trial and had 1 additional cardiovascular risk factor. The study attempted to better understand how to treat patients more than 12 months following their heart attack, when they are still at risk for major thrombotic events.

“We are very pleased with the top line results of the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 study, the second positive major outcomes study in the PARTHENON program,” said AstraZeneca Vice President Elisabeth Björk in a press release. “The results build on existing understanding of the benefits of Brilinta for patients with acute coronary syndrome and offer important clinical insights into its potential role for the longer-term prevention of cardiovascular events.”

While the study’s results are currently being analyzed, no unexpected safety issues have yet been discovered.