The Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI; Boston) said that the first patients have been enrolled in the DAPT Study, marking the official initiation of the four-year clinical trial to investigate the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT, the combination of aspirin and a thienopyridine/antiplatelet medication to reduce the risk of blood clots) following drug-eluting stent implantations. The large-scale public health study is expected to bring clarity to the global medical community regarding the benefits of 12 vs 30 months of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients receiving drug-eluting stents to address coronary artery lesions.

The DAPT Study will be conducted through a public-private collaboration involving HCRI, four major stent manufacturers: Abbott (Xience V), Boston Scientific (Taxus, Promus), Cordis (Cypher), Medtronic (Endeavor); the manufacturers of thienopyridine/antiplatelet medications; and the FDA. HCRI, which is responsible for the scientific management of the DAPT Study and the independent analysis of the resulting data, received funding support from each of the drug and device manufacturers.