The Bob Harrington Show - Episode 8: Antithrombotic drugs for cardiovascular medicine with Dr Magnus Ohman

Summary: We all agree that antithrombotic therapy is the cornerstone in the care of patients with ACS and vascular disease as well as for preventing complications from PCI. In terms of long term therapy, we have been largely limited to antiplatelet therapy (aspirin +/- clopidogrel) which has been the standard therapy in the chronic setting and often part of a larger armamentarium of therapies in the acute setting. But with the success of clopidogrel, a new era was ushered in marked by tremendous excitement and a push to develop a wide range of new therapies. It’s been a productive period! With the prasugrel story as a backdrop, what lessons can we learn from the world of antithrombotic drug development? Dr Magnus Ohman, one of the lead investigators in antithrombotic research, joins me today to examine the following questions pertaining to the development of antithrobotics and their use: (1) What populations do we study? Why? (2) What is the comparator? (3) What constitutes a meaningful effect? (4) How do we address safety issues? (5) How do we enroll and get the trials done?