The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a Drug Safety Communication on Plavix (clopidogrel) that narrowed its indication for use, specifically determining that it does not increase or decrease risk of death in patients with heart disease. This update was issued following an FDA review of the Dual Antiplatelet Therapy trial and other large long-term clinical trials of clopidogrel. Patients are not advised to stop taking clopidogrel due to an increased risk of heart attack and blood clots, and providers are urged to consider the benefits and risks associated with available antiplatelet medications before initiating treatment. Read the full announcement here.

Keywords: Myocardial Infarction, Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors, Risk Assessment, Thrombosis, Ticlopidine, United States Food and Drug Administration

< Back to Listings