NICE has reviewed its guidance on prasugrel hydrochloride (Efient, Eli Lilly and Company). The updated guidance published today recommends the drug in combination with aspirin for preventing blood clots in people who have had a heart attack or who have unstable angina (collectively called acute coronary syndromes) and who are also having a procedure to widen narrowed arteries in the heart (percutaneous coronary intervention).

Acute coronary syndromes are caused when a blood clot causes one of the large blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart to become narrowed or blocked. This reduces blood flow to the heart and the part of the heart affected can become permanently damaged.

Where the blood supply to the heart is blocked but there is no evidence of actual damage to the heart muscle, it is described as unstable angina. ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and Non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) – the names come from the pattern seen on an ECG, which measures the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart – are types of heart attack that happen when the blockage in the blood vessel results in damage to the heart muscle.

For more details, go to: https://www.nice.org.uk/NICE-recommends-prasugrel-Efient-preventing-blood-clots-in-people-with-acute-coronary-syndromes