Clopidogrel (Plavix) Response- Medical Indications
Clopidogrel (Plavix®) response 
(not available at this time)
- Medical Indications: Clopidogrel is used to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), recent myocardial infarction (MI; heart attack) or stroke, or patients with established peripheral arterial disease. Clopidogrel prevents the formation of platelets, and is prescribed to reduce the chance of blood clot formation in these patients.
- Mechanism of action: Clopidogrel binds irreversibly to the P2Y12 class of ADP receptors on platelets. This prevents activation and aggregation of platelets.
- Adverse reactions: The most serious adverse reactions are hemorrhage (bleeding) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), which may be fatal,
- Pharmacogenetics: Clopidogrel is a "pro-drug" that is not clinically effective until converted to the active drug metabolite in the liver. The CYP2C19 gene encodes the cytochrome P-450 enzyme that metabolizes clopidogrel. It is estimated that 15-30% of the population have genetic variants of CYP2C19 that do not convert clopidogrel to the active drug. These individuals do not derive clinical benefit from clopidogrel, and are unnecessarily exposed to the adverse effects.
- Information this test provides
- Considerations based on your test result
(not available at this time)
Additional pharmacogenetic information: