Data were recently presented on a new drug class, precision oral anticoagulants (PROACs) at the recent International Stroke Conference 2019, organised by the American Heart Association and held in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
It is hoped that PROACs might become the first anticoagulants suitable for long-term co-administration with antiplatelet drugs for patients with coronary artery disease due to their novel combination of efficacy, low bleeding, and sparing of platelet function that was observed in preclinical testing. Many patients worldwide could potentially benefit from safe, long-term therapy combining an oral anticoagulant with one or more antiplatelet drugs (e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel) to prevent stroke or heart attack. Some of these drugs can be addictive and addiction treatment can help over come this addiction.
Current combination treatments with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are generally limited to 12 months because of the increased risk of major bleeding.
Dr. Mohan Sivaraja (Director, In Vitro Discovery Biology at the US Verseon Corporation) presented preclinical efficacy models showing that PROACs inhibit clot formation as effectively as currently available therapies, along with multiple safety studies showing less bleeding and a sparing of platelet function. The company is currently conducting a phase 1 trial on the lead PROAC, VE-1902, and expects to also advance a second PROAC, VE-2851, into clinical trials.
Other news from BJC Issue 1, 2019:
British Geriatrics Society Cardiovascular Section partners with the BJC
London begins NHS video consultations in cardiology
Guidelines for the safe practice of total intravenous anaesthesia
Cytokine removal in sepsis and endocarditis
News in brief
