New Data Shows Acute Heart Attack Patients Given AGGRASTAT® in?Ambulance, with Standard of Care, Significantly Improves Clinical Outcome

Early, in–ambulance treatment with antiplatelet medicine AGGRASTAT® (tirofiban HCL), in addition to the standard combined treatment of aspirin, heparin and clopidogrel, significantly improves the results of primary coronary angioplasty (PCI) in patients with ST–elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI).1 These study findings were presented today at the Annual European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany.

Data from the combined open label and double–blind, placebo–control, multinational, "Ongoing Tirofiban in Myocardial Infarction Evaluation (On–TIME) 2" trial in 1398 randomised showed that treatment with AGGRASTAT®, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, in addition to the standard triple treatment package, significantly reduced the incidence of residual ST–segment deviation versus placebo or no AGGRASTAT® after PCI in STEMI patients (3.7 ± 5.2 mm versus 4.8 ± 6.0 mm, p180 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure >110 mmHg); concomitant use of another parenteral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor; or acute pericarditis.

Bleeding is the most common complication encountered during therapy with AGGRASTAT®. Administration of AGGRASTAT® is associated with an increase in bleeding events classified as both major and minor bleeding events, by criteria developed by the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Study group (TIMI). Most major bleeding associated with AGGRASTAT® occurs at the arterial access site for cardiac catheterization. Fatal bleedings have been reported. AGGRASTAT® should be used with caution in patients with platelet count