Aspirin more effective with Plavix in AF

Plavix (clopidogrel), marketed by respective French and US drug majors Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, is more effective when combined  with aspirin, than the latter alone in preventing major vascular events  in patients with atrial fibrilation who cannot take oral anticoagulants,  according to the ACTIVE A the trial presented at the annual scientific  session of the American College of Cardiology.

ACTIVE A was a Phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial  designed to compare the combination of Plavix 75mg once daily plus  aspirin to aspirin alone  for preventing the first occurrence of a major  vascular event. The study included 7,554 patients with atrial  fibrillation who could not take OACs and had at least one major risk  factor for stroke.

Findings demonstrated that Plavix plus aspirin significantly reduced  major vascular events by 11% over aspirin alone, at a median of 3.6  years of follow-up (6.8% versus 7.6% per year, p=0.01). The greatest  benefit was seen in the reduction of stroke, by 28% (2.4% vs 3.3% per  year, p<0.001). Other components of major vascular events, such as  non-central nervous system systemic embolism, heart attack or vascular  death, did not reach statistical significance. Compared to aspirin  alone, taking Plavix in addition significantly increased the rate of  major bleeding (2.0% vs 1.3% per year, p < 0.001).