New Anticoagulants Not Linked To Excess Bleeding Rates

–Observational study compares new anticoagulants to warfarin in VTE population. In clinical trials the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been shown to have similar efficacy and safety compared to warfarin, but questions have been raised about whether the results are similar in real world settings. Now a new observational study lends some measure of reassurance…

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Eliquis Nipping At The Heels of NOAC Market Leader Xarelto

–But the overall market for the new oral anticoagulants continues to expand. The new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) market is growing larger and is becoming increasingly competitive. The latest market data shows that apixaban (Eliquis, Pfizer and BristolMyers Squibb) is challenging the established leader in the field, rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson). According to recent data…

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Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa Gains New Indication

The new oral anticoagulants continue to gain additional indications from the FDA. Earlier today Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the FDA had approved Pradaxa (dabigatran) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes both deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). …  Click here to read the full post on Forbes.    …

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Apixaban Gains Indication For DVT Prophylaxis After Knee And Hip Replacement Surgery

The FDA has approved a new indication for apixaban (Eliquis), the anticoagulant drug manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer. The new indication is for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery. DVT can lead to the life-threatening condition of pulmonary embolism (PE). The DVT prophylaxis indication joins the previously…

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Problems Persist Despite Gains In Oral Anticoagulant Use

Although significant progress has been made in recent years, a new survey from the European Society of Cardiology finds that there are still too many atrial fibrillation patients who are not taking the best medications to reduce their elevated risk of stroke. Many elderly patients are not receiving oral anticoagulants and overall too many patients…

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FDA Again Rejects ACS Indication for Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

For the second time the FDA has turned down the supplemental new drug application (NDA) for the proposed indication of rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson) to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). … In a new press release issues on Monday afternoon, the company restated its confidence “in the robustness and results of the ATLAS…

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Longer Warfarin Therapy After Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement May Be Beneficial

Three months of warfarin is the usual standard of care following bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR),  although the supporting evidence base for this practice is limited. Now a large new registry study published in JAMA suggests that more prolonged warfarin therapy may be beneficial. Danish researchers identified 4,075 patients who underwent bioprosthetic AVR. As expected,…

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“Dramatic” Increase In Bleeding Accompanies Addition Of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy In ACS

The newer oral anticoagulants may help reduce ischemic events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but only at the cost of a “dramatic” increase in bleeding complications, according to a new meta-analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Hungarian researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of seven trials in which 31,286 ACS patients were randomized to…

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Apixaban (Eliquis) For Atrial Fibrillation Gets Positive European Recommendation

The European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended approval for apixaban (Eliquis, Pfizer and BristolMyers Squibb) for atrial fibrillation (AF). The drug is already approved in Europe for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) following hip or knee replacement surgery. The drug has not yet been approved in the United States. Here…

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FDA Once Again Delays Approval Of Apixaban (Eliquis)

The FDA has once again delayed approval of apixaban (Eliquis), the much-anticipated oral anticoagulant. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer announced today that it had received a a Complete Response Letter (CRL) to the New Drug Application (NDA) for the drug for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. The two…

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FDA Rejects ACS Indication for Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

The FDA has issued a complete response letter to the supplemental new drug application (NDA) for the proposed indication of rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The action was expected, since last month the FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted against recommending the new indication, which was based on…

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FDA Grants Priority Review to Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) for ACS Patients

The FDA has granted a priority review for the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for rivaroxaban (Xarelto) in combination with standard therapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. The news was announced by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson. The FDA will now be required to respond within 6 months…

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Guest Post: Industry Sponsored Editorial Assistance

Editor’s Note: The following guest post by Tom Yates is reprinted with permission from his blog Sick Populations. Yates is a UK-based physician with an interest in epidemiology and population health. Industry Sponsored Editorial Assistance by Tom Yates The September 2011 edition of the Quarterly Journal of Medicine contained two review articles which dealt with the use…

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Study Explores Role of Periprocedural Dabigatran in AF Ablation

Updated with a comment from John Mandrola– As dabigatran becomes more widely used in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, electrophysiologists are now trying to figure out how to handle anticoagulation in patients taking dabigatran (Pradaxa) for whom AF ablation is planned. In a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy and colleagues…

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