Phase III trial shows Plavix (BMS/Sanofi) plus aspirin reduces risk of Stroke by a third

Results of a Phase III clinical trial showed that Plavix (clopidogrel), from BMS/Sanofi, plus aspirin lowered the risk of Stroke by almost one-third, compared to the standard therapy of aspirin alone, when given to patients who had minor or transient Stroke symptoms to prevent subsequent attacks. The trial involved 5,170 people who were hospitalized after suffering minor ischemic strokes or stroke-like events known as transient ischemic attacks. Overall, 8.2 percent of patients taking both drugs suffered subsequent strokes in the three months of follow-up compared to 11.7 percent of patients taking aspirin alone.

The Chinese trial, called CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events), is nearly identical to a National Institutes of Health-sponsored trial that is already enrolling patients in the United States, including at UCSF, called POINT (Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke). Data was published in the New England Journal of Medicine: "Clopidogrel with Aspirin in Acute Minor Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack" Yilong Wang et al. NEJM June 26, 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1215340