If the findings are confirmed and expanded in a larger clinical trial, pairing the drugs with angioplasty may offer a new standard of care for heart attacks, said the trial leader, Dr. Magnus Ohman, a cardiologist at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Most patients now receive either a clot-busting drug or angioplasty to treat their heart attacks.
Abciximab, known under the trade name Reopro, has been dubbed the ultimate aspirin because it stops blood from clotting, and reteplase, known as r-PA, dissolves blood clots. Both drugs are federally approved and on the market. It was conducted in 61 hospitals with 305 patients from the U.S., Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia. Of the 305 patients tested, up to 80 percent had angioplasties, and of this group, another 80 percent received a stent. It was also unique in that it enrolled patients within 60 minutes of being seen in an emergency department, instead of the standard 90 minutes, Ohman said.