The effects of laropiprant on the antiplatelet activity of co-administered clopidogrel and aspirin

Laropiprant is an antagonist of the prostaglandin PGD(2) receptor DP1. Laropiprant has a weak affinity for the thromboxane A(2) receptor TP. Two double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover studies evaluated the effects of multiple-dose laropiprant at steady state on the antiplatelet effects of multiple-dose aspirin and clopidogrel. Study 1 had two treatment periods, in which each healthy subject received laropiprant 40 mg, clopidogrel 75 mg, and aspirin 80 mg (Treatment A), or placebo, clopidogrel 75 mg, and aspirin 80 mg (Treatment B) once daily for 7 days. Study 2 consisted of three treatment periods. In the first two, each patient with hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia received laropiprant 40 mg, clopidogrel 75 mg, and aspirin 81 mg (Treatment A), or placebo, clopidogrel 75 mg, and aspirin 81 mg (Treatment B) once daily for 7 days. In period 3, patients received a single dose of two tablets of extended release nicotinic acid 1 g/laropiprant 20 mg (Treatment C). In both studies, pharmacodynamic endpoints included bleeding time at 24 (primary) and 4 hours (secondary) post-dose following 7 days of once-daily laropiprant in combination with clopidogrel and aspirin, and platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma at 4 and 24 hours post-dose on day 7 (secondary). After 7 days, increased bleeding time of 27% (Study 1) and 23% (Study 2) at 24 hours post-dose was observed with laropiprant compared to placebo (both combined with clopidogrel and aspirin), with corresponding upper bounds of the 90% CI marginally exceeding the prespecified upper comparability bound of 1.50 in both studies. The GMR and 90% CI for bleeding time of laropiprant compared to placebo (both combined with clopidogrel and aspirin) at 4 hours post-dose on day 7 was 0.92 (0.70, 1.21) in Study 1, and 1.46 (1.20, 1.78) in Study 2. Compared with placebo, laropiprant (both combined with clopidogrel and aspirin) increased the inhibition of collagen- and ADP-induced platelet aggregation, respectively, by similar to 2.4% and similar to 8.1% in Study 1 and by similar to 4% and similar to 5.4% in Study 2, at 24 hours post-dose on day 7. The inhibition of collagen-and ADP-induced platelet aggregation, respectively, was increased by similar to 0.1% and similar to 5.0% in Study 1, and by similar to 5% and similar to 12% in Study 2, at 4 hours post-dose on day 7. In conclusion, co-administration of multiple doses of laropiprant with aspirin and clopidogrel induced a prolongation of bleeding time and an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation ex vivo in healthy subjects and patients with dyslipidemia.