FDA warns against mixing Nexium or Prilosec with Plavix
The LA Times reports that the FDA on Tuesday warned consumers not to take popular heartburn medications Nexium or Prilosec if they use Plavix, a widely prescribed blood thinner that guards against heart attack and stroke. The heartburn drugs can interfere with the blood thinner, which is used to ward off heart attack and stroke.
The two heartburn formulations can reduce the protective blood-thinning effect of Plavix by nearly half, according to a study undertaken at the request of the FDA by the blood thinner’s marketers, Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Plavix and Nexium were the second- and third-bestselling pharmaceuticals in the world last year, with sales of $8.6 billion and $7.8 billion, respectively, according to data research firm IMS Health. Over 11 years, 90 million people have received Plavix, according to industry records.
Read the full article on the LA Times website.
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