Outcomes and costs of abciximab versus eptifibatide for percutaneous coronary intervention

Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement are often prescribed glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. However, drug selection is often based on clinicians' preference and cost because few studies have directly compared abciximab and eptifibatide.

To compare clinical outcomes and total hospital costs of abciximab and eptifibatide in patients undergoing stent placement during PCI in a real-world setting.

A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted of 960 patients administered abciximab or eptifibatide for intracoronary stent placement between 1999 and 2001 at a tertiary care hospital. The primary outcome was bleeding, defined as major, moderate, or minor according to published criteria. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, and the triple composite endpoint of those outcomes, thrombocytopenia, length-of-stay, and total hospital costs. Pearson's chi(2) analysis, Fisher's exact test, and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis.

The frequency of bleeding complications based on severity was similar between abciximab and eptifibatide: major (2.4% vs 2.8%), moderate (12.4% vs 10.5%), and minor (4.0% vs 3.9%), respectively (p = 0.86). Secondary clinical outcomes were also similar between groups (p > 0.05). Total costs for hospitalization were significantly greater for abciximab compared with eptifibatide ($16,383 +/- 6799 vs $14,115 +/- 6285; p < 0.001). Drug acquisition costs were also significantly greater for abciximab compared with eptifibatide ($508 +/- 159 vs $465 +/- 263; p = 0.003).

In patients undergoing stent placement during PCI, abciximab and eptifibatide are comparable in terms of safety and effectiveness despite significant differences in hospitalization and acquisition costs.