FDA: Long-Term Clopidogrel Use Doesn’t Alter Risk of Death

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the long-term used of clopidogrel (Plavix) neither increases or decreases the overall risk of death in patients at risk for or with heart disease.

“Our evaluation of the Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT)1 trial and several other clinical trials also does not suggest that clopidogrel increases the risk of cancer or death from cancer,” the FDA noted in its safety communication.

In late 2014, the agency announced that it would review the long-term safety of the drug because preliminary trial data showed that its use resulted in an increased risk of non-cardiovascular death.

Click here to read the full notice.

--Stephanie Vaccaro

Reference:

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA review finds long-term treatment with blood-thinning medicine Plavix (clopidogrel) does not change risk of death. www.fda.gov. 2015 Nov 6.