U.S. federal health officials said Tuesday a popular type of heartburn medication can interfere with the blood-thinner Plavix, a drug taken by millions of Americans to reduce risks of heart attack and stroke. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the stomach-soothing drugs Prilosec and Nexium reduce by half the blood-thinning effect of Plavix, known generically as clopidogrel. Specifically, regulators said the key ingredient in the heartburn drugs blocks an enzyme the body needs to break down Plavix, reducing the drug"s full effect. Because Plavix can upset the stomach, it is often prescribed with acid-blocking drugs. "Patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use clopidogrel to prevent blood clots will not get the full effect of this medicine" if they use heartburn drugs, the FDA said in a statement. The FDA said patients who need to reduce stomach acid should take drugs from the H-2 blocker family, which include Johnson & Johnson"s Mylanta and Boehringer"s Zantac. Plavix is marketed by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. With global sales of $8.6 billion last year, it is the world"s second-best selling drug behind Pfizer"s cholesterol drug Lipitor.
