A Decade of Pivotal Biomedical Discoveries

  2007 – The serine protease antagonist Trasylol – despite warnings presented one year ago (see below) – was prescribed to more than 200,000 patients in 2006. Now, the 5-year IREF long-term study found that Trasylol also is associated with increased death. In contrast, the two far less expensive generics were proven safe

  2006 – Aprotinin – a drug approved by the FDA in 1993 to limit surgical bleeding and given to an estimated four million surgery patients worldwide – was proven to double a patients risk of kidney failure.

  2003 – The COX-2 inhibitor, Bextra (valdecoxib, parecoxib), was associated with serious adverse events and impaired wound healing.

  2002 – Generic Aspirin - when given  immediately following surgery reduced death, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

  1996 – Generic beta-blockers - when given intensively for one week following surgery - reduced death over the following two years.

IREF is an independent, nonprofit, California-based foundation, dedicated to performing quality medical and scientific research with its close affiliate, the Multicenter Study of Perioperative Ischemia (McSPI) Research Group, and other worldwide collaborators, for the purpose of saving and extending lives and promoting responsible healthcare practices.