The popular blood thinner Plavix is a safe and effective medication for patients, including those deemed to be "poor metabolizers" of the drug, according to an analysis released Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings contradict the 2010 boxed warning that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated on the drug's label. If you're one of the approximately 40 million people worldwide taking Plavix (known generically as clopidogrel), you're probably familiar with the warning. The label cautions that the drug has "diminished effectiveness in poor metabolizers" or patients with a certain genotype, known as CYP2C19, and thus may lead to an increase in cardiovascular events like heart disease or bleeding. To help decide whether Plavix is a good fit for patients, the label says genetic tests are available to identify people with the genotype in question.
