Efficacy of Abciximab for Patients Undergoing Balloon Angioplasty

Background The efficacy and safety of abciximab were investigated in Japanese patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina. Methods and Results The 973 patients were randomized into 3 groups: the low-dose group (L group) received bolus injection of 0.20 mg/kg followed by 12-h infusion; the high-dose group (H group) received bolus injection of 0.25 mg/kg followed by 12-h infusion; the placebo group (P group) received bolus and infusion of placebo. The incidence of the primary endpoint (30-day post-PCI coronary events: death, MI or urgent revascularization) was 3.6%, 1.6%, and 4.1% in the P, L, and H groups, respectively, with no significant difference between the P and L groups (P=0.104) or between the P and H groups (P=0.772). The incidence of bleeding tended to increase in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion No significant difference in the incidence of coronary events was found between the placebo and abciximab groups, so the efficacy of abciximab in preventing post-PCI coronary events in Japanese patients was not confirmed. (Circ J 2009; 73: 145 - 151)