UW launches test of anti-platelet drug to prevent stroke

Physicians at the UW Medical School are joining a nationwide trial to see if adding a commonly prescribed anti-platelet drug to an aspirin regimen will further reduce the incidence of stroke.

The “CHARISMA” trial (Clopidogrel for High Atherothrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilization, Management and Avoidance) is seeking patients who already have either heart disease or blood vessel disease in the brain or peripheral arteries, or who have a history of strokes within the last five years. These patients will be randomly assigned to take either aspirin or an aspirin-clopidogrel combination therapy. Their health will be tracked up to 42 months after the treatment begins, with the goal of assessing if the combination works better than aspirin in reducing stroke.

“This is a relatively easy trial for patients to take part in,” says Douglas Dulli, MD, a UW Health neurologist and principal investigator for the study. “We already know that people who have had one ‘event’ due to plaque build-up on blood vessels are at higher risk for another event, such as a heart attack or stroke. This may be another option for further reducing the risk of that second event.”

Clopidogrel is marketed as “Plavix” and has been approved in the U.S. since November 1997. Sanofi-Synthelabo and Bristol-Myers Squibb market it in the U.S.

Those interested in enrolling in the trial should call the UW neurology department at (608) 265-2451.