Nicholls SJ, Sipahi I, Schoenhagen P, Wisniewski L, Churchill T, Crowe T, Goormastic M, Wolski K, Tuzcu EM, Nissen SE

Intravascular ultrasound assessment of novel antiatherosclerotic therapies: Rationale and design of the Acyl-CoA:Cholesterol Acyltransferase Intravascular Atherosclerosis Treatment Evaluation (ACTIVATE) Study

Am Heart J 2006;152:67–74

Coronary artery disease

To determine whether acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibition with pactimibe reduces atheroma progression in patients with coronary artery disease

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled

18 months

534 patients, aged ≥ 18 years, with at least one 20% diameter stenosis in a major epicardial coronary artery

Pactimibe, 100 mg/day, or placebo

All patients received usual medical care for coronary artery disease

Not yet available

After the preliminary results were revealed in October 2005, clinical trials of pactimibe ceased worldwide. Data presented at AHA 2005 showed that, in patients with coronary artery disease, pactimibe not only failed to reduce atherosclerosis progression compared to usual care, but had some proatherogenic effects. No real reference available. Information to be found at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/518572