Antiplatelet Therapies in ACS

The team working on this study are physically based at the CVBRU, working alongside the core staff team. The laboratory, equipment and facilities support the group, which also acts as the core EU laboratory and as a principal recruiting centre for the TRACER pharmacodynamic substudy.

The group, led by Dr Robert Storey, are at the forefront of antiplatelet drug research in ACS. Dr Storey is the Primary Investigator (PI) on a number of phase three commercial studies of anti-platelet therapy in NSTEMI and STEMI ACS and with CVBRU support he is conducting a number of sub-studies within these. This has led to two significant, first-author publications in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and co-authorship on other high impact publications.

Dr Storey was the PI for the platelet sub-study of the PLATO study which has provided important insights into the potential mechanisms for mortality reduction by Ticagrelor compared to Clopidogrel in ACS patients. The group also played a leading role in the conduct and publication of the ONSET/OFFSET study on the effects of Ticagrelor which has also proved essential for understanding the drug’s properties.

Dr Storey’s pre-clinical work established a role for the P2Y12 receptor in neointima formation following vascular injury. This is being investigated at a translational level by ongoing analysis that Dr Storey is leading, assessing target vessel revascularisation rates in ACS patients treated with Ticagrelor or Clopidogrel in the PLATO study.