Dr. Juan Badimon and Dr. John Kastelein argue that while imaging studies are not ready to substitute for “hard” endpoint clinical trials, they nevertheless add important information on atherosclerotic plaque development. Although imaging studies are very important in clinical drug development programs, the ideal imaging study/methodology has not yet been established. Dr. Christie Ballantyne also raises the issue that physicians strive for optimal therapy and response to therapy. To close the debate, Dr. Richard Nesto and Dr. Peter Libby talk about the usefulness of imaging studies as proof of concept approaches but maintain that they are not yet ready to replace clinical trials. Dr. Libby mentions that imaging modalities can play a role in drug development but not in drug registration.
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