TY - JOUR TI - Generic Clopidogrel Besylate in the Secondary Prevention of Atherothrombotic Events: A 6-month Follow-up of a Randomised Clinical Trial AU - Ntalas, Ioannis V. AU - Kalantzi, Kalliroi I. AU - Tsoumani, Maria E. and AU - Vakalis, John N. AU - Vasilakopoulos, Vasileios AU - Vardakis, AU - Konstantinos AU - Vemmos, Konstantinos N. AU - Voukelatou, Maria and AU - Giannakoulas, Georgios AU - Giatrakos, Ioannis AU - Giogiakas, Vasileios AU - and Goumas, Georgios AU - Dimoulis, Nikos AU - Draganigos, Antonios and AU - Efthimiadis, Ioannis AU - Thoma, Maria AU - Kazakos, Evangelos and AU - Kipouridis, Nikolaos AU - Konstantinou, Spiros AU - Milionis, Haralampos AU - and Bourdakis, Adamantios AU - Nikolopoulos, Dimitrios AU - Peltekis, AU - Leonidas AU - Prokopakis, Nikos AU - Sinteles, Ioannis AU - Stroumbis, AU - Christos S. AU - Terzoudi, Kyriafina AU - Tsilias, Karmelos AU - Xaraktsis, AU - Ioannis AU - Charmpas, Christos AU - Hatziathanasiou, Georgios and AU - Christogiannis, Zacharias AU - Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B. and AU - Goudevenos, John A. AU - Tselepis, Alexandros D. JO - Current Vascular Pharmacology PY - 2015 VL - 13 TODO - 6 SP - 809-818 PB - BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD SN - 1570-1611 TODO - 10.2174/1570161113666150316220515 TODO - Acute coronary syndrome; clinical efficacy; clopidogrel besylate; coronary artery disease; generic clopidogrel; peripheral artery disease; stroke TODO - Background: The aim of the present interim analysis was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of the generic clopidogrel besylate (CB) with the innovator clopidogrel hydrogen sulphate (CHS) salt in patient groups eligible to receive clopidogrel. Methods: A 2-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase IV clinical trial. Consecutive patients (n=1,864) were screened and 1,800 were enrolled in the trial and randomized to CHS (n=759) or CB (n=798). Primary efficacy end point was the composite of myocardial infarction, stroke or death from vascular causes. Primary safety end point was the rate of bleeding events as defined by Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. Results: At 6-months follow-up no differences were observed between CB and CHS in primary efficacy end point (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.37 to 1.71; p=0.57). Rates of BARC-1,-2,-3a and -5b bleeding were similar between the two study groups whereas no bleeding events according to BARC-3b, -3c, -4 and -5a were observed in either CHS or CB group. Conclusion: The clinical efficacy and safety of the generic CB were similar to those of the innovator CHS salt, thus this generic clopidogrel formulation can be routinely used in the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events for a period of at least 6 months. (Salts of Clopidogrel: Investigation to ENsure Clinical Equivalence, SCIENCE study Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT02126982). ER -