Data show benefits of cangrelor in patients undergoing either radial or femoral approach

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Results from a secondary analysis of the CHAMPION PHOENIX study, which were presented at the 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting (29 August–2 September, London, UK), indicate that the intravenous antiplatelet agent cangrelor (Kengreal, The Medicines Company) is associated with significant reduction in ischaemic events compared with clopidogrel in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with either the femoral or the radial approach.

According to the results, cangrelor was associated with a 21% reduction in the primary outcome of death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularisation and stent thrombosis in patients treated by the femoral approach and with a 24% reduction in patients treated by the radial approach compared with clopidogrel. Also, rates of GUSTO severe or moderate bleeding were low overall, without significant differences between cangrelor and clopidogrel (0.7% cangrelor vs. 0.4% clopidogrel with femoral access; 0.3% cangrelor vs. 0.2% clopidogrel with radial access).


Deepak L Bhatt (executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart & Vascular Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, USA), says: “Cangrelor showed similar effectiveness and safety in PCI patients regardless of the vascular access site. These results are particularly relevant as worldwide use of the radial artery approach to PCI increases.”


A press release states that the full report of this subgroup analysis will be published in the European Heart Journal. It adds that new ESC guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation have included cangrelor as an option in P2Y12 inhibitor–naive patients undergoing PCI.