Value of Abciximab in Patients With AMI Undergoing Primary PCI After Clopidogrel Pretreatment (BRAVE 3)

The goal of all reperfusion therapies in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an effective restoration of coronary blood flow and the reduction of infarct size. Recently, the researchers were able to achieve excellent results with primary stenting plus abciximab in terms of reduction of infarct size and improvement of clinical outcome in the STOPAMI trial. This strategy provided a clear benefit compared to fibrinolysis. On the basis of the data published in the last 2 years, hospitals without angioplasty facilities have now better possibilities to improve the results of primary treatment of patients with AMI by immediately referring these patients to highly experienced centers in coronary interventions. There is an increasing interest to assess the additional advantages of pharmacologic reperfusion approaches which are readily applicable in the time window between presentation and arrival at the catheterization room. Two studies have shown that the results of the PCI in patients with AMI pretreated with fibrinolysis may even be more unfavorable than those achieved with angioplasty alone. Glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa blocker abciximab has been shown to improve the results of the primary PCI in AMI. However, no rapidly effective antiplatelets therapy was available at the time when the studies on the benefit of abciximab were performed. Recent studies have shown that a high, 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel is significantly more rapidly acting and that maximal inhibition of platelet aggregation is achieved within 2 hours after administration. In the ISAR-REACT trial, a high loading dose of clopidogrel was well tolerated, associated with such a low frequency of procedural complications that the use of abciximab offered no clinically measurable benefit at 30 days.

Comparison:

Abciximab (bolus+infusion for 12h) versus Placebo (bolus+infusion for 12h) after pre-treatment with 600 mg clopidogrel.