Adding Merck's Vorapaxar to Standard of Care Significantly Reduced the Risk of Cardiovascular Events

Researchers Saturday presented and published results from the TRA-2P (Thrombin-Receptor Antagonist in Secondary Prevention of Atherothrombotic Ischemic Events) TIMI 50 study of vorapaxar, Merck's MRK investigational anti-thrombotic medicine, in patients with a prior history of cardiovascular events or disease. In the study, the addition of vorapaxar to standard of care (e.g. aspirin, or thienopyridine or both) resulted in a significantly greater reduction in the risk of the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or urgent coronary revascularization. This is the first time that an anti-thrombotic medicine added to the standard of care, including aspirin, has been shown to provide an additional, significant reduction in cardiovascular events in the secondary prevention setting, defined as patients who previously experienced a heart attack, an ischemic stroke, or who had documented peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. There was also a significant increase in bleeding, including intracranial hemorrhage, among patients taking vorapaxar in addition to standard of care, although the risk of ICH was lower in patients without a history of stroke.