Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH: The Potential of Bentracimab

Investigators might just be scratching the surface of the potential for bentracimab, a novel, recombinant, human monoclonal antibody antigen-binding fragment being studied as a potential treatment to reverse the antiplatelet effects of ticagrelor in patients who present with urgent surgery or an invasive procedure or experiencing uncontrolled major or life-threatening bleeding.

Initial data from the REVERSE-IT (Rapid and SustainEd ReVERSal of TicagrElor – Intervention Trial) was recently presented during the 2021 American Heart Association (AHA) annual meeting as a late-breaking poster.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, explained the promise and utility behind bentracimab and what happens next in the REVERSE-IT study.

“Potentially, if this is approved, it would really be convenient to have an agent that would reverse ticagrelor’s effect,” Bhatt said. “And use of ticagrelor is likely going to grow, there’s a number of recent indications for use of ticagrelor.”

Some of the indications for the blood thinner include for patients with high risk coronary artery disease with or without diabetes, prior myocardial infarction, high-risk coronary artery disease, transient ischemic attack, and stroke.

However, like all antiplatelet drugs, bleeding is considered a risk for ticagrelor.

“Assuming the regulator agencies approve it, for a patient that is on potentially long-term ticagrelor and has a bleeding episode, now we’ve got an agent that can at least reverse that component of bleeding.