Plavix, a heart and stroke drug co-promoted by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, can cause more ulsers than aspirin used in combination with a heartburn pill, according to a study published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine found.

However, current Food and Drug Administration guidelines recommend Plavix for patients who have major gastrointestinal intolerance (GI) of aspirin.

According to the New York Times: “The study could upend the treatment guidelines for tens of thousands of Americans who must take anti-clotting drugs for their hearts but are prone to gastrointestinal problems.”

Researchers said their finding does not support the current recommendiation that patients with GI be given Plavix as a substitute for aspirin.

Both the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend that heart and stroke patients prone to gastrointestinal problems take Plavix over aspirin.

Plavix had $2.8 billion in sales in during the first half of 2004, which makes it a blockbuster drug.

On the Net:

New England Journal of Medicine: http://nejm.org

Plavix marketing homepage: http://www.plavix.com.

(via New York Times)