Application of intravascular ultrasound in anti-atherosclerotic drug development.
The background use of a number of established therapies presents a key challenge for the development of novel anti-atherosclerotic agents: how to predict potential efficacy before the completion of long-term trials with endpoints such as mortality. This challenge has stimulated the search to develop intermediate measures of efficacy. Recent advances now allow intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to provide an accurate assessment of atheroma accumulation within the arterial wall. Here we describe how IVUS can be applied to the serial assessment of atheroma burden in response to treatment with a range of anti-atherosclerotic strategies, which has resulted in its emergence as a key technology in the evaluation and approval of novel drugs.
Nicholls
Stephen J
SJ
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Sipahi
Ilke
I
Schoenhagen
Paul
P
Crowe
Tim
T
Tuzcu
E Murat
EM
Nissen
Steven E
SE
D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents