The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7209 p150
3 August 2002

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The Lancet (www.thelancet.com)

Tirofiban similar to abciximab over long-term

The two platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors tirofiban (Aggrastat) and abciximab (ReoPro) have similar long-term beneficial effects for patients who undergo angioplasty for narrowed coronary arteries, a follow-up study has shown.

Previously, researchers had shown that abciximab was better than tirofiban at preventing death, heart attacks, and repeated surgery among 4,809 patients within 30 days of undergoing coronary-artery angioplasty. However, six-month data for the trial show that 14.8 per cent of the patients taking tirofiban had died, had a heart attack, or had repeat surgery, compared with 14.3 per cent of those who took abciximab (hazard ratio 1.04, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.90–1.21, P=0.591).

Dr David Moliterno, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, and lead investigator, commented: "As studied, abciximab was more protective against a heart attack occurring during, or immediately following, angioplasty. Yet the two drugs were associated with similarly low rates of death and renarrowing of the heart's arteries at six months.

"Our conclusion is that while the more expensive drug (abciximab) is better 'up front', it provides little long-term advantage compared with tirofiban."

The study is published in The Lancet (2002;360:355).