Boehringer Ingelheim reports ‘benefit’ of Asasantin Retard plus ASA to prevent stroke

Boehringer Ingelheim has presented data at the annual meeting of the European Stroke Conference in Glasgow, reporting that treatment with Asasantin Retard (extended-release dipyridamole plus ASA) is more effective in preventing vascular events in minor ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) patients than treatment with ASA alone.

This data is based on the analysis of results from five clinical trials involving 3,812 patients treated solely with ASA and 3,800 patients treated with dipyridamole plus ASA.

Patients administered with dipyridamole plus ASA saw a relative 22 per cent reduction in recurrent stroke, with an 18 per cent reduction in non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke and vascular death.

Professor Ale Algra of University Medical Centre Utrecht, said: “This new meta-analysis confirms that the combination of ASA and dipyridamole is more effective than ASA alone in patients with TIA or ischaemic stroke of presumed arterial origin.”

She added that stroke patients can benefit from treatment with dipyridamole plus ASA as a therapy to reduce the chances of recurrent stroke, irrespective of their baseline risk.

In May 2006, Boehringer Ingelheim reported the publication of trial data in the Lancet journal indicating that Asasantin Retard is “superior” to aspirin as a therapy to reduce the chance of experiencing thrombotic events.