FDA warns heartburn drugs interfere with Plavix

Common heartburn pills like Prilosec interfere with the blood-thinning drug Plavix, making it work less effectively, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

New data show that Prilosec—which is also sold over-the-counter and is widely available generically as omeprazole—reduces the anti-clotting effect of Plavix by almost half, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Plavix is the world’s second-biggest-selling medicine, with worldwide sales of around $9 billion.

The U.S. label for Plavix, known also as clopidogrel, will be updated with new warnings on the use of Prilosec and other drugs that could interact in the same way, the agency said in a statement.

Patients taking Plavix should consult with their doctor if they are currently taking or considering taking Prilosec, it added.

Plavix is widely used with so-called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, including Prilosec and Nexium, to reduce stomach acid and avoid gastric problems.

A study in March raised concerns that mixing the two types of medicines increased the risk of heart patients having a second heart attack and led regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to issue warnings discouraging combined use unless essential.

But experts have continued to debate the pros and cons of combining the medicines since then.

An analysis presented at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting in Barcelona in August appeared to offer reassurance by finding that PPIs did not interfere with the clinical benefits of either Plavix or a newer drug called Effient.

—-
* Prilosec cuts Plavix effectiveness by nearly half

* FDA: Plavix label will highlight interaction risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters)