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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
Published on: December 9, 2015
Aspirin and clopidogrel resistance
Erin D Michos1, Reza Ardehali, Roger S Blumenthal
1Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Insights
Many patients experience recurrent cardiovascular events despite aspirin and clopidogrel therapy due to resistance. This review explores resistance phenomena, diagnostic challenges, contributing factors, and novel therapies for improved antiplatelet treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Thrombosis
Background:
- Aspirin and clopidogrel are crucial for preventing cardiovascular events.
- Recurrent cardiovascular events occur in a subset of patients on antiplatelet therapy.
- Resistance or hypo-responsiveness to these drugs contributes to treatment failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review clinical aspirin and clopidogrel resistance (treatment failure).
- To discuss the complexities in defining and identifying drug resistance.
- To identify factors contributing to resistance and explore new therapeutic options.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of clinical studies and platelet function assays.
- Analysis of factors influencing antiplatelet drug efficacy.
- Examination of current guidelines and emerging therapies.
Main Results:
- Clinical resistance to aspirin and clopidogrel is a recognized phenomenon.
- Defining and measuring resistance is complex, with no universally accepted assay.
- Various factors, including genetic and clinical, may influence patient response.
Conclusions:
- Resistance to aspirin and clopidogrel poses a significant clinical challenge.
- Further research is needed to standardize resistance testing.
- New antiplatelet agents may offer alternatives for resistant patients.
Abstract:
Despite aspirin's and clopidogrel's proven benefit in reducing cardiovascular (CV) events, recurrent CV events still occur in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy. Many of these patients are resistant or only partially responsive to the antiplatelet effects of aspirin and clopidogrel, as determined by standard platelet assays. However, current clinical guidelines do not support routine screening for aspirin or clopidogrel resistance, in part because determination of the most appropriate screening test has not been established. This review attempts to (1) describe the phenomena of clinical aspirin and clopidogrel resistance (ie, treatment failure), (2) discuss the complexity of defining and identifying aspirin and clopidogrel resistance, (3) identify factors that may be responsible for aspirin and clopidogrel resistance, (4) outline several standard platelet function assays and their limitations, and (5) describe potential new antiplatelet therapies that may benefit aspirin- or clopidogrel-resistant patients.
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