The TRITON study (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition with Prasugrel) compared prasugrel to clopidogrel using a 300-mg loading dose. The PLATO study (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) compared ticagrelor to a double (600-mg) loading dose of clopidogrel.
The design of the PLATO study allowed therapy with clopidogrel before randomization; 97.3% of patients in the ticagrelor arm who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction were treated with clopidogrel before the procedure (94.9% of these patients received a dose GREATER-THAN OR EQUAL TO300 mg).