A small trial testing the appropriate duration of dual antiplatelet therapy suggests that some patients can stop clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi-Aventis) after just six months following drug-eluting-stent implantation. Although the study was not powered for hard clinical end points, such as death, MI, or stent thrombosis, investigators report that one-year rates of target vessel failure (TVF) were equivalent among patients treated with six and 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy.

Interventionalists Drs David Kandzari, Laura Mauri, and Bob Harrington talk about what the trial results mean for clinical practice and what they hope to learn about dual antiplatelet therapy from future trials.