title: A comparison of two brands of clopidogrel in patients with drug-eluting stent implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although generic clopidogrel is widely used, clinical efficacy and safety between generic and original clopidogrel had not been well evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of 2 oral formulations of clopidogrel 75 mg tablets in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 2006 and February 2009, 428 patients that underwent implantation with DES for CAD and completed >1 year of clinical follow-up were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into the following 2 groups based on treatment formulation, Platless® (test formulation, n=211) or Plavix® (reference formulation, n=217). The incidence of 1-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) and stent thrombosis (ST) were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline demographic and procedural characteristics were not significantly different between two treatment groups. The incidence of 1-year MACCEs was 8.5% {19/211, 2 deaths, 4 myocardial infarctions (MIs), 2 strokes, and 11 target vessel revascularizations (TVRs)} in Platless® group vs. 7.4% (16/217, 4 deaths, 1 MI, 2 strokes, and 9 TVRs) in Plavix® group (p=0.66). The incidence of 1-year ST was 0.5% (1 definite and subacute ST) in Platless® group vs. 0% in Plavix® group (p=0.49).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the 2 tablet preparations of clopidogrel showed similar rates of MACCEs, but additional prospective randomized studies with pharmacodynamics and platelet reactivity are needed to conclude whether generic clopidgrel may replace original clopidogrel.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gil Hospital, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yae Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Taehoon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Kyounghoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwen-Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Eul Sik
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Dong Su
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Myeong Gun
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woong Chol
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: In Suck
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Eak Kyun
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Shin