The Market Reacts Quickly: Changes in Paclitaxel Vascular Device Purchasing Within the Ascension Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND: A meta-analysis of trials in endovascular therapy suggested an increased mortality associated with treatment exposure to paclitaxel. Multiple publications and corrections of prior data were performed, and the United States Food and Drug Administration has issued multiple advisories regarding paclitaxel use. We analyzed how this controversy impacted device purchasing and related utilization patterns in the period immediately following publication of the meta-analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ascension Healthcare System purchase data over a 14-month period were synthesized across centers for both paclitaxel and non-paclitaxel devices. A fixed-effects regression model and a binary regression model with facility-level controls were used to compare purchasing patterns before and after the meta-analysis. Purchase volumes of each paclitaxel device fell. Pooled purchase volumes of all paclitaxel devices decreased from a 14-month peak of 631 devices in October 2018 to a 14-month nadir of 359 devices in February 2019. An F-test comparing the pooled-month specific fixed effects for the months before vs after the publication of the meta-analysis has an F-statistic of 11.64, suggesting that average purchasing levels in the two periods are statistically different (P<.001). Utilization of non-paclitaxel devices did not decline. CONCLUSIONS: Purchase volumes of paclitaxel devices decreased immediately during the months following publication of the related meta-analysis. Total Ascension-wide paclitaxel device purchase volume in February 2019 demonstrated a 43.1% reduction from peak monthly purchase volume during the assessed period and a 32.5% reduction compared with November 2019, the last month preceding publication of the meta-analysis.

The pharmacodynamics of enoxaparin in percutaneous coronary intervention with precise rapid enoxaparin loading (PEPCI-PRE study).

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the early pharmacodynamic profile of the combined 30 mg intravenous and 1 mg/kg subcutaneous enoxaparin loading utilized in the TIMI 11B and ExTRACT TIMI 25 trials. BACKGROUND: It has not been reported whether anti-Xa levels appropriate for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be reliably achieved within 2 h utilizing this regimen. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with this regimen had anti-Xa levels measured at 5 min, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of patients had anti-Xa levels above 0.5 IU/ml at 5 min. Dose-response curves showed all patients to have anti-Xa levels above 0.5 IU/ml within 1 h. Anti-Xa remained in the targeted range for PCI (0.5 to 1.8 IU/ml) at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h in all patients. CONCLUSION: This regimen is well suited for ACS treatment with an invasive strategy, including the rapid transition to early and rescue PCI.

Safety and efficacy of only 2 weeks of ticlopidine therapy in patients at increased risk of coronary stent thrombosis: results from the Antiplatelet Therapy alone versus Lovenox plus Antiplatelet therapy in patients at increased risk of Stent Thrombosis (ATLAST) trial.

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the frequency of late stent thrombosis among patients treated with intracoronary stents and the most appropriate duration of treatment with a thienopyridine that is required to prevent this complication. METHODS: We analyzed the frequency of stent thrombosis and other ischemic events in the Antiplatelet Therapy alone versus Lovenox plus Antiplatelet therapy in patients at increased risk of Stent Thrombosis (ATLAST) trial. In the ATLAST trial, 1102 patients at increased risk of stent thrombosis (ST-elevation myocardial infarction within 48 hours, diffuse distal disease, a large amount of thrombus, acute closure, residual dissection, etc) were randomly assigned to receive either enoxaparin (40 or 60 mg given every 12 hours for 14 days) or placebo; all patients received aspirin (325 mg daily) and ticlopidine (250 mg twice daily) for only 14 days. RESULTS: The primary end point, the 30-day combined incidence of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and urgent revascularization, was reached in 2.3% of patients (1.8% of patients taking enoxaparin vs 2.7% of patients taking placebo; P =.295). However, during the 15th through 30th days, the frequency of ischemic events was only 0.73%, and only 0.27% (3/1102) of patients had possible stent thrombosis (95% CI 0.06, 0.77). CONCLUSION: The frequency of stent thrombosis and other adverse ischemic events in the 15th through 30th days after stent placement in even high-risk stent patients treated with ticlopidine for only 2 weeks is low whether or not enoxaparin is administered.