Failure of the platelet-activating-factor antagonist WEB 2086 BS for treatment of chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia

Thirteen patients with chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) were treated for 14 days with daily oral doses of 120 mg of the novel platelet-activating-factor (PAF) antagonist WEB 2086 BS. Clinical bleeding symptoms remained essentially unchanged in 9 patients and became more pronounced in the post-treatment period in 4 patients. In no case was an increase in platelet counts observed. While the PAF antagonist was well tolerated subjectively during treatment, most patients exhibited a prolongation of the sensitive "hemostasis time" (a modified bleeding time test) after treatment, but the Duke bleeding time was not changed. We conclude that the PAF antagonist WEB 2086 BS is ineffective for treatment of chronic AITP and should be used with caution in thrombocytopenic patients.