Clinical Role of Platelet Reactivity Testing Gains Additional Support with Third Guideline Recommendation by a Medical Society in 2011
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accumetrics, Inc., developer of the VerifyNow® System, the first rapid and easy-to-use point-of-care system for measuring platelet reactivity to multiple antiplatelet agents, announced today that a new recommendation (IIb-B) to consider platelet function testing has been incorporated in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines. Published in the European Heart Journal1, the guidelines also include a second recommendation that addresses modifying treatment strategies based on platelet reactivity measurements in selected cases (IIb-B).
"We know that high on treatment platelet reactivity is an established risk factor for major cardiac events," stated Dr. Marco Valgimigli from the Cardiovascular Institute in Ferrara, Italy. "With the development of new, more potent antiplatelet treatment strategies, and the continued validation of point of care platelet reactivity tests, we as physicians can utilize platelet reactivity measurements as a tool to ensure we provide our patients the most appropriate and cost-effective treatment options. This individualized approach of combining traditional risk factors with an understanding of the effect of our treatment decisions is something that we had already implemented at the Cardiovascular Institute."
The inclusion of platelet function testing in the ESC guidelines coincides with the recent publication of a pharmacodynamic analysis of GRAVITAS trial data, which demonstrated a 50% reduction in cardiovascular risk when patients achieved a low level of platelet reactivity as measured by the VerifyNow P2Y12 Test2. Further, this closely follows the addition of platelet reactivity testing to the 2011 ACC/AHA ACS/NSTEMI guideline update, as well as inclusion within the 2011 STS blood conservation guidelines for use as part of a pre-surgical risk assessment strategy.
"With the recommendations from the ESC and several other societies, the clinical evidence for point of care platelet reactivity testing continues to grow," said Accumetrics President and CEO, Timothy I. Still. "These guidelines further position the VerifyNow System as the global market leader for providing critical information to aid physicians in determining if a patient has not received the expected effect of their antiplatelet therapy, and if the patient is at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events."
The VerifyNow System is the first clinically available, rapid and easy-to-use point-of-care system for measuring platelet reactivity to multiple antiplatelet agents. Additionally, it is indicated outside the US for evaluating the risk for recurrent events in cardiovascular patients. The System is widely used in various clinical settings where antiplatelet medications are prescribed to reduce the occurrence of future thrombotic events such as heart attack and stroke.
About Accumetrics
Accumetrics is committed to advancing medical understanding of platelet function and enhancing quality of care for patients receiving antiplatelet therapies by providing industry-leading and widely accessible diagnostic tests for rapid platelet function assessment.
Accumetrics' VerifyNow System is the first rapid and easy-to-use platform to help physicians determine an individual's response to multiple antiplatelet agents. Addressing every major antiplatelet drug, including FDA-cleared products for aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors (e.g. prasugrel (Effient®) and clopidogrel (Plavix®)), and GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors (e.g. ReoPro® and Integrilin®), the VerifyNow System provides valuable information to help physicians make informed treatment decisions. For more information about the Company and its products, visit www.accumetrics.com.
The Accumetrics logo and VerifyNow are registered trademarks of Accumetrics, Inc. ReoPro is a registered trademark of Centocor, Inc. Integrilin is a registered trademark of Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Plavix is a registered trademark of sanofi-aventis. Effient is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company.
1 Hamm, CW. Et al. Eur Heart J (2011) first published online August 26, 2011 doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehr236
2 Price, MJ. et al Circulation. 2011;124:1132-1137.
Contacts
Chandler Chicco Agency
Jakob Jakobsen, 310-309-1003
jjakobsen@biosector2.com
or
Accumetrics
Timothy I. Still, President and CEO
858-404-8260
press@accumetrics.com
or
Ad de Waard, VP International Sales and Marketing
press@accumetrics.com