Colchicine in Vascular Inflammation Assessed With PET Imaging

Inclusion Criteria: * Male and female patients providing informed consent * Patient must have evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) as evidenced by at least one of the following: * Angiographic evidence of at least 50% stenosis in one coronary artery (except for left main coronary artery stenosis, in which 30% is acceptable) * History of prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) * History of prior acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event (ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI or unstable angina) * Patient has a carotid or ascending aorta atherosclerotic plaque inflammation TBR of 1.6 or more as determined by 18F-FDG uptake measured by PET scanning * Patient must be on a stable dose for at least 8 weeks before baseline if taking medications used to control angina, hypertension, serum lipids (including statins) or any medication that can have an effect on inflammation * Female patient is either not of childbearing potential, defined as postmenopausal for at least 1 year or surgically sterile, or is of childbearing potential and practices a birth control method throughout the study and for 30 days after study completion * Patient is judged to be in good general health as determined by the principal investigator * Patient must be able and willing to comply with the requirements of this study protocol Exclusion Criteria: Poorly controlled medical condition, such as uncontrolled diabetes, documented history of recurrent infections, unstable ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 40%, recent stroke (within the past 3 months), chronic leg ulcer or any other condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would put the patient at risk if participating in the study * History of ACS, PCI, myocardial infarction, carotid revascularization or hospitalization for a cardiac condition within 12 weeks of baseline * Prior coronary artery bypass graft * Planned change in medical treatment during the study, that can have effect on inflammation, for angina, serum lipids, and other conditions * History of cancer or lymphoproliferative disease other than a successfully treated non-metastatic cutaneous squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma and/or localized carcinoma in situ of the cervix * History of listeriosis, treated or untreated tuberculosis, persistent chronic infections, or recent active infections requiring hospitalization or treatment with intravenous anti-infective agent within 30 days or oral anti-infective agent within 14 days prior to baseline * Hepatitis B or hepatitis C viral infection * Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or patient with chronic diarrhea * Pre-existent progressive neuromuscular disease or patient with creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level \> 3 times the upper limit of normal at baseline * Current use or plans to use anti-retroviral therapy at any time during the study, or with active chronic disease often treated with a protease inhibitor, including AIDS * Diagnosed with immune deficiency or as immunocompromised * Any of the following: hemoglobin \< 120g/L, white blood cell count \< 3.0 X 109/L, platelet count \<130 X 109/L, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \> 3 times the upper limit of normal, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 3 times the upper normal limit, total bilirubin \> 2 times the upper normal limit, creatinine \> 150 umol/L, creatinine clearance \< 30 mL/min, or history of cirrhosis or severe hepatic disease * Pregnant or breast-feeding or considering becoming pregnant during the study or for 6 months after the last dose of study medication * History of clinically significant drug or alcohol abuse in the last year * Previous bilateral carotid surgery * Other indications for colchicine use (mainly chronic indications represented by Familial Mediterranean Fever or gout) * History of an allergic reaction or significant sensitivity to constituents of study drug * Use of an investigational chemical agent less than 50 days or 5 half-lives prior to baseline (whichever is longer) * Judged by the investigator to be an unsuitable candidate for the study