The aim of LoDoCo2 was to investigate the effect of low dose colchicine (0,5 mg once daily) on the risk of (fatal or non-fatal) myocardial infarction or stroke or the need for a coronary bypass or stent. After a median follow up of 3 years colchicine, on top of standard treatment, reduced this risk with 30%. Patients taking colchicin had similar side effects compared to placebo. Moreover no interaction was seen with other frequently used drugs like (potent) statins.
The LoDoCo2 investigators expect colchicine to become standard treatment for patient with coronary artery disease. In 2021 already some international guidelines introduced colchicine in secondary prevention of ASCVD.
LoDoCo2 is special in many ways. A large randomised clinical trial fully run by a non-academic network of cardiologists, funded by The Netherlands Heart Foundation and ZonMW and a consortium of pharmaceutical companies with focus on drug repurposing. Old and often cheap drugs can be a valuable addition to the development of new innovative drugs.
Principal Investigator - Dr. Arend Mosterd
Principal Investigator - Prof. dr. Jan Hein Cornel
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lodoco® (colchicine) to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, coronary revascularization, and cardiovascular (CV) death in adult patients with established atherosclerotic disease or with multiple risk factors for CV disease.
While the mechanism by which colchicine prevents major CV events is not fully understood, it is believed that its anti-inflammatory effects help reduce the risk in patients with established atherosclerotic disease. The approval was based on published data related to the effects of colchicine on cardiovascular events, as well as findings from the LoDoCo2 (Low Dose Colchicine for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease) trial.
At the 7th Translational Cardiovascular Research Meeting, the NLHI NVVC Einthoven Dissertation prizes were presented to recognize exceptional doctoral research conducted in the Netherlands in 2022 on cardiovascular topics. Following a rigorous selection process, the jury identified the following three candidates as recipients of this prestigious award:
1st place: Aernoud Fiolet - 'Colchicine in Coronary Disease: Using the available to enable the sustainable'.
2nd place: Michiel Henkens - 'Improving diagnosis and risk stratification of cardiomyopathies across the ejection fraction spectrum – The past, present, and future.'
3rd place: Jorrit Lemkes - 'Timing of coronary angiography in acute coronary syndromes – The TRANSIENT and COACT trial.'
We congratulate Aernoud Fiolet for being announced as the winner of the NLHI NVVC Einthoven Dissertation prize. His research on 'Colchicine in Coronary Disease' demonstrated outstanding contributions to the field of cardiovascular research.