ReoPro As Adjunct To Thrombolysis; TIMI 14

Preliminary results from the TIMI 14 trial, the first study looking atthe role of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonism in combination with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction, were reported at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida. The interim results show that standard doses of Centocor/Eli Lilly's ReoPro (abciximab), when combined with reduced-dose tissue plasminogen activator (Genentech's Activase; alteplase), provide equivalent arterial patency rates to full-dose tPA.

Thrombolytic drugs have been shown to improve outcome in patients suffering an MI, but their use is associated with a 1.5% incidence of stroke (including 0.7% hemorrhagic stroke). The rationale behind TIMI-14 was to investigate whether lower doses of tPA, combined with an anti-platelet drug that prevents clots from forming, might offer comparable efficacy with a lower risk of bleeding events.

Furthermore, despite thrombolysis only 54% of MI patients achieve optimal arterial patency (blood flow), and inadequate early patency is associated with increased mortality at 30-days. The TIMI 14 team were also hoping to demonstrate that the combination of abciximab and tPA can improve patency rates over tPA alone.