Platelet Inhibition to Target Reperfusion Injury

There remains a clinical need to improve health outcomes in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) the leading cause of death and disability in Singapore and worldwide. One neglected therapeutic target is 'myocardial reperfusion injury' in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). This results in microvascular obstruction (MVO) and cardiomyocyte death and contributes upto 50% of the final myocardial infarct (MI) size. Cangrelor, a potent intravenous platelet P2Y12 inhibitor with rapid onset and offset of action, has been demonstrated in experimental animal studies to reduce MI size when administered prior to reperfusion. Whether Cangrelor given together with Ticagrelor would be more effective at reducing MI size in STEMI patients treated by PPCI is not known and is investigated in the Platelet Inhibition to Target Reperfusion Injury (PITRI) trial.