Australian heart attack patients to have earlier access to heart therapy
Australians who suffer a heart attack will now have immediate access to a therapy that has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of a secondary heart attack, stroke or death.
Sanofi-aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced the listing of clopidogrel (marketed as Plavix® and Iscover®) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS), from 1 February 2009.
This new PBS listing means all Australians who suffer a heart attack will now have immediate access to clopidogrel. Previously, patients may have had to suffer and survive a second heart attack before they were eligible to receive the treatment through the PBS.
