Outcomes at 6 months for the direct comparison of tirofiban and abciximab during percutaneous coronary revascularisation with stent placement: the TARGET follow-up study

Background Two placebo-controlled trials testing intravenous platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists in the setting of percutaneous coronary revascularisation with intracoronary stents have shown a durable reduction in ischaemic events to 6 months. These trials differed regarding their patient population, IIb/IIIa inhibitor, and reported extent of benefit. Whether a small-molecule agent affecting only the IIb/IIIa receptor would provide a similar outcome for ischaemic events and clinical restenosis at 6 months when directly compared with a monoclonal antibody known to affect several integrin receptors is unknown. Methods In 18 countries at 149 hospitals, 4809 patients undergoing elective or urgent stent implantation were randomly assigned a bolus and infusion of tirofiban or abciximab. Patients were followed for 6 months for the occurrence of death, myocardial infarction, and any target-vessel revascularisation. The results at 30 days have been reported previously. Findings At 6 months the composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, and target-vessel revascularisation occurred in 356 (14.8%) patients who received tirofiban and 345 (14.3%) patients who received abciximab (hazard ratio 1.04, 95% Cl 0.90-1.21; p = 0.591). The rates for the individual endpoints were 191 (8.0%) versus 159 (6.6%) for myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 1.21, 95% Cl 0.98-1.50; p = 0.074), 26 (1.1%) versus 25 (1.0%) for death (1.04, 0.60-1.80; p = 0.893), and 194 (8.1%) versus 208 (8.6%) for target-vessel revascularisation (0.93, 0.77-1.14; p = 0.495). Interpretation At 6 months, tirofiban provided a similar level of overall protection to abciximab against the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and any target-vessel revascularisation.