University of Ottawa Heart Institute trial finds popular blood clotting drug does not improve patient outcomes and increases risk of bleeding

"A popular drug used to prevent blood clotting during the treatment of severe heart attacks does not improve outcomes for patients undergoing a life-saving surgical procedure. Further, the drug - known generically as eptifibatide (pronounced ep-ti-fy-bah-tide) - also increases the risk of bleeding. The results follow a ground-breaking clinical trial conducted at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute which sought to determine the efficacy of a drug that is widely used but for which little clinical evidence was available to indicate a positive impact on treatment"