Comparative 30-day economic and clinical outcomes of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use during elective percutaneous coronary intervention: Prairie ReoPro versus Integrilin Cost Evaluation (PRICE) Trial.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the economics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical outcomes among patients randomly assigned to receive either abciximab (ReoPro, Centocor, Inc, Malvern, Pa, and Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, Ind) or eptifibatide (Integrilin, COR Therapeutics, Inc, South San Francisco, Calif, and Key Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Kenilworth, NJ) therapy during elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

BACKGROUND

Clinical and safety outcomes after elective PCI with a high-dose eptifibatide treatment strategy have not previously been systematically evaluated. In addition, comparative economic and pharmacodynamic studies of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists during PCI are sparse.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind study assessed the 30-day economic and clinical outcomes of 320 consecutive patients undergoing elective coronary balloon angioplasty or stent implantation who were randomly assigned to receive adjunct abciximab (n = 163) or eptifibatide (n = 157) therapy. The primary study end point was total in-hospital costs based on an intention-to-treat analysis. A secondary end point included 30-day total hospital costs. A platelet aggregometry substudy was performed on 155 patients (abciximab: n = 74 and eptifibatide: n = 81) with use of the Ultegra Rapid Platelet Function Assay.

RESULTS

Baseline demographic, angiographic, and procedural variables were similar between the two treatment groups. The median and interquartile ranges of total in-hospital costs were $8268 ($6505, $9958) and $7207 ($5659, $9307), respectively, between the abciximab- and eptifibatide-treated patients (P =.009). Median total costs at 30 days were $8336 ($6505, $10,126) and $7207 ($5659, $9431), respectively, between the abciximab- and eptifibatide-treated groups (P =.009). The composite secondary clinical end points (death/nonfatal myocardial infarction/urgent revascularization) occurred in 4.9% versus 5.1% of patients, respectively, by hospital discharge (P =.84) and in 5.6% versus 6.3% of patients, respectively, at 30 days (P =.95) in the abciximab and eptifibatide groups. With the eptifibatide dose used, early and more durable platelet inhibition was achieved compared with abciximab (P <.00001).

CONCLUSION

In drug dosages and patients similar to those enrolled in the current study, eptifibatide achieved durable platelet inhibition throughout drug infusion and was associated with lower in-hospital and 30-day costs compared with abciximab in patients undergoing elective PCI.