Accumetrics, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly collaborate to raise awareness about antiplatelet therapy

Jul 12 2010

Accumetrics, Inc., Daiichi Sankyo, Inc, and Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the companies have entered into a strategic collaboration in the United States to raise awareness about antiplatelet therapy and the role of platelet function testing.

Several factors, including a patient's genetic make-up, diabetic status, age, weight and the use of certain other medications metabolized through the cytochrome P450 pathway in the body may influence patient response to antiplatelet medicines.  Therefore, it is important that physicians understand their options to determine if their use of a specific antiplatelet medicine is having its intended effect.

Antiplatelet medicines help prevent blood platelets from sticking or clumping together, reducing the likelihood that arteries will be blocked by a clot, leading to a heart attack.

The focus of the collaboration is to educate healthcare professionals about the availability and reliability of a rapid and easy-to-use platelet function test, and to stress the importance of assessing each patient's platelet response to antiplatelet medications.

"By working closely with Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly, we hope to offer greater understanding of platelet function testing as a means to help physicians assess patients' platelet response to antiplatelet therapy," said Timothy I. Still, President and CEO of Accumetrics.    

"We believe physicians will want to know the specific effect of a patient's antiplatelet therapy and whether additional measures may be needed," said Rogelio Braceras, M.D., senior medical director, thrombosis at Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.  "In fact, a recent Clinical Alert from the American College of Cardiology Foundation and American Heart Association noted that several ongoing studies are being conducted to evaluate whether directly measuring the antiplatelet effect might be useful to help tailor antiplatelet therapy for patients."

This collaborative program will work to provide healthcare professionals information about the factors that affect response to antiplatelet medication and how platelet function testing works.  Platelet function testing can be measured at the point of care and provides quick insight to physicians about the antiplatelet effect of a specific medicine.  With this information, physicians can make more informed treatment decisions.

"By using platelet function testing, physicians now have another tool to help them manage their patients on antiplatelet therapy," said Tiffany Olson, vice president of Diagnostics, Eli Lilly and Company.