The standard of care for patients following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a thienopyridine. Thienopyridines are irreversible adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonists that inhibit ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Clopidogrel bisulfate (clopidogrel), a P2Y 12 receptor antagonist, is the most commonly prescribed [1,2]. Substantial individual variability in response to clopidogrel exists [3][4][5][6] with reduced levels of inhibition of platelet aggregation associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events [7][8][9]. The variable response to clopidogrel is multifactorial linked to factors such as age, weight, and comorbid conditions such as diabetes, drugdrug interactions, and genetic variation.Prasugrel hydrochloride (prasugrel), a third-generation thienopyridine and also a P2Y 12 receptor antagonist, achieves greater levels of platelet inhibition with less inter-patient variability [10]. The more efficient metabolism of prasugrel has been reported to contribute to the higher inhibition of platelet aggregation and a more rapid onset of action [11,12]. In the TRITON-TIMI 38 trial, treatment with prasugrel as compared with clopidogrel resulted in a significantly lower rate of ischemic events and more bleeding [10].
D R U G M E T A B O L I Z I N G A N D T R A N S P O R T E R G E N E S A N D T H I E N O P Y R I D I N E R E S P O N S EAlthough both prodrugs require biotransformation, the pathways leading to the pharmacologically active moiety differ between prasugrel and clopidogrel [13][14][15]. Prasugrel is rapidly hydrolyzed during absorption to the thiolactone metabolite R-95913, which is then metabolized primarily by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes, CYP3A4 and CYP2B6, and to a lesser extent by CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 [15][16][17]. This efficiency leads to rapid conversion and generation of greater levels of active metabolite. The relationship between prasugrel active metabolite exposure and maximal platelet aggregation is sigmoidal Prasugrel standard dosing achieves inhibition