Pharmaceuticals

This channel includes news and new technology innovations for cardiovascular pharmaceutics. This includes antiplatelet agents, anticoagulation drugs, INR testing, NOAC, OAC, IV administered drugs such as Heprin, and dual antiplatelet therapy.

The mechanism of action for mavacamten, a cardiac myosin inhibitor to treat obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM). EXPLORER-HCM trial #ACC21 #ACC2021

News | Pharmaceuticals

Mavacamten Is Effective in Treating Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

May 15, 2021 — A new analysis of the Phase 3 EXPLORER-HCM study evaluating mavacamten, an investigational, first-in ...

May 15, 2021

The combination heart failure drug sacubitril/valsartan did not significantly reduce the rate of heart failure or cardiovascular death following a heart attack compared to ramipril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. #ACC21 #ACC2021

News | Heart Failure

Sacubitril/Valsartan Does Not Outperform ACE Inhibitor in Preventing Heart Failure After Heart Attack

May 15, 2021 — The combination heart failure drug sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto) did not significantly reduce the rate ...

May 15, 2021

The ADAPTABLE trial found no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease who were taking 81 milligrams (mg) baby aspirin, versus 325 mg of daily aspirin. Getty Images #ACC #ACC21 #ACC2021

News | Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapies

Baby and Regular Strength Aspirin Equal in Cardiac Platelet Inhibition and Safety

May 15, 2021 — The ADAPTABLE trial found no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding in ...

May 15, 2021

An Edward Lifesciences Sapien TAVR valve during an implant procedure on angiography. There are still questions on how to best anticoagulate TAVR patients and the ATLANTIS study found Eloquis is not a good solution.

News | Structural Heart

TAVR Anticoagulation With Apixaban Not Superior to Standard Care

May 15, 2021 — The anticoagulant apixaban (Eliquis) was not superior to standard of care following transcatheter aortic ...

May 15, 2021

A Chinese registry study found there are higher event rates in patients with shorter dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after PCI procedures. There has been a lot of movement toward using shorter duration DAPT with newer generation drug-eluting stent technologies, but this study reinforces the need longer DAPT in many patients. The findings were presented as a late-breaking trial at SCAI 2021 today.

News | Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapies

Long-term Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Benefits Reinforced in SCAI Late-breaking Study

April 28, 2021 — An analysis of the prospective Chinese Fuwai PCI Registry, confirms long-term, dual-antiplatelet ...

April 28, 2021

Feature | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | By Dave Fornell, Editor

CDC and FDA Call for Pause on Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Due to Rare Blood Clots

(This story was updated May 7, 2021 in the last subheaded section)

April 13, 2021 — The U.S. Food and Drug ...

April 13, 2021

Comparison showing platelet adhesion to the surface of various coronary artery drug-eluting stents (DES) in a preclinical study that used aspirin only. Abbott said the Xience stent's fluoropolymer is significantly more anti-thrombotic than other DES.[2]

News | Stents

Abbott’s Xience Stent Receives European Approval for One-Month Dual Anti-Platelet Therapy for High Bleeding Risk Patients

April 6, 2021 — Abbott today announced its Xience stent has received CE mark in Europe for shorter duration of dual anti ...

April 06, 2021

Videos | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

VIDEO: Antithrombotic Prophylaxis in COVID-19 Patients

Behnood Bikdeli M.D., a cardiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, offers an ...

April 01, 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can potentiate all 3 sides of Virchow’s Triad of coagulopathy, including endothelial dysfunction, blood flow stasis, and hypercoagulability. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2)–dependent viral entry and the virus-induced inflammatory response can lead to endothelial dysfunction. Clotting Prevention in COVID-19 Patients, Thrombosis Prevention in COVID-19 Patients, Preventing blood clots in COVID-19 patients

Feature | Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapies | By Dave Fornell, Editor

Overview of Trials for Anticoagulation Therapy for COVID-19 Patients

A comprehensive review or more than 80 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating how to best manage optimal ...

March 22, 2021

News | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

FDA Clears Third COVID-19 Vaccine From Janssen

March 1, 2021 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the third ...

March 01, 2021

Vaccinating patients against the flu can go a long way to helping cardiology patients stay healthy and out of the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, freeing up beds for COVID patients. Left photo, Getty Images, right image of COVID-19 virus from the NIH.

Feature | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | By William Schaffner, M.D., and Allen J. Taylor, M.D.

Cardiologists Should Prioritize Influenza Vaccination Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

While influenza (flu) is unpredictable, the 2020-2021 influenza season may present an unprecedented dual threat: co ...

February 23, 2021

Heavily calcified coronary arteries seen on a CT scan of the heart. Research at the New York Institute of Technology will create blood flow modeling to show the impact of calcium in arteries as part of a project to develop treatments to remove calcium.

News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Vascular Decalcification as Heart Disease Treatment Examined in $1.8 Million NIH Grant

January 27, 2021 — A New York Institute of Technology research team has secured a five-year $1.8 million grant from the ...

January 27, 2021

FDA clears Verquvo, Vericiguat, Heart failure drug.

News | Heart Failure

FDA Clears Vericiguat to Treat Heart Failure Following Hospitalization

January 25, 2021 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Merck's Verquvo (vericiguat). It is the first ...

January 25, 2021

The U.S. Government promised to have 20 million people vaccinated by Jan. 1, 2021 with just the Pfizer Vaccine. Even with two vaccines now approved, U.S. vaccinations for COVID stand at less than 4.5 million on Jan. 4, 2020. Getty Images The Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines were hailed as a major accomplishment in modern science and as the beginning of the end for COVID. This very well may be true, but it absolutely will not happen as fast as the government has led us to believe. #COVID19 #COVID #SARScov2

Blog | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID Vaccines May Make the Future Brighter in 2021, if They Ever Arrive

There was much fanfare over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorizations (EUAs) in December ...

January 04, 2021

Who Can Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? Roberto Lang, M.D., director of noninvasive cardiac imaging, University of Chicago Medical Center and former American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) president, received his first dose of the COVID vaccine in December. In addition to front line hospital workers, nursing home staff and residents also qualified for the first round of vaccinations. Right, Shannon Yaw, a nurse at a hard-hit nursing home in Michigan, received her first dose just before Christmas.

News | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Dave Fornell, Editor

Who Qualifies for the COVID Vaccine Under CDC Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dec. 3, released an interim guidance document to federal, state ...

January 04, 2021