Comment
Protein kinases as cardiovascular therapeutic targets being assessed for the treatment of various indications, including atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndrome. In The Lancet, Kristin Newby and colleagues10 report on a phase 2 multicentre trial, SOLSTICE, in which patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were treated with a p38 MAPK inhibitor, losmapimod. Patients received a loading dose of 7·5 mg losmapimod followed by 7·5 mg twice daily (n=199), a loading dose of 15·0 mg losmapimod followed by 7·5 mg twice daily (n=192), or placebo (n=135). Treatment was started within 12 h of NSTEMI and given for 12 weeks in addition to standard best practice. The data from the two losmapimod groups were aggregated for analysis. Concentrations of the circulating inflammatory markers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin 6 were significantly decreased within 72 h of starting losmapimod compared with those in the placebo group (median hsCRP 64·1 nmol/L, IQR 53·0–77·6 vs 110·8 nmol/L, 83·1–147·7, p=0·0009; interleukin 6 6·6 ng/L, 5·8–7·4 vs 10·6 ng/L, 8·6–13·1, p
Protein kinases as cardiovascular therapeutic targets being assessed for the treatment of various indications, including atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndrome. In The Lancet, Kristin Newby and colleagues10 report on a phase 2 multicentre trial, SOLSTICE, in which patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were treated with a p38 MAPK inhibitor, losmapimod. Patients received a loading dose of 7·5 mg losmapimod followed by 7·5 mg twice daily (n=199), a loading dose of 15·0 mg losmapimod followed by 7·5 mg twice daily (n=192), or placebo (n=135). Treatment was started within 12 h of NSTEMI and given for 12 weeks in addition to standard best practice. The data from the two losmapimod groups were aggregated for analysis. Concentrations of the circulating inflammatory markers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin 6 were significantly decreased within 72 h of starting losmapimod compared with those in the placebo group (median hsCRP 64·1 nmol/L, IQR 53·0–77·6 vs 110·8 nmol/L, 83·1–147·7, p=0·0009; interleukin 6 6·6 ng/L, 5·8–7·4 vs 10·6 ng/L, 8·6–13·1, p
