Is Plavix Less Effective Than Aspirin?

In a study being published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, Plavix, the very popular anti-stroke drug, is said to cause 12 times the number of bleeding ulcers as a combination of common aspirin and a prescription heartburn drug. Plavix was widely thought to avoid the problem of bleeding ulcers that is associated with aspirin. Plavix is a joint production between Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, with sales of $2.8 billion during the first six months of 2004. Is another blockbuster drug about to lose its credibility?

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