UPDATE: The FDA announced that it will push back its decision on whether to approve the reversal agent AndexXa to May 4, 2018. The original review date was set for February 3, 2018, but the FDA wanted to consider additional information it had requested from Portola, the drug's manufacturer. (12/28/17). Risk of Bleeding … [Read more...]
New Anticoagulant BevyxXa Approved by the FDA
On June 23, 2017, a new anticoagulant drug called BevyxXa (betrixaban) was approved by the FDA for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism. This drug acts as a direct Factor Xa inhibitor, similar to the other anticoagulant drugs Eliquis, Savaysa, and Xarelto. Unlike the anticoagulant Pradaxa, which is a direct … [Read more...]
Pradaxa And Xarelto May Double The Risk Of Heart Attacks Some Patients
In March 2017 the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published this article, “Risk of myocardial infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation using vitamin K antagonists, aspirin or direct acting oral anticoagulants”, which reports on the first retrospective cohort study to compare the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart … [Read more...]
Warfarin vs. Eliquis, Pradaxa, Xarelto, and Savaysa: Which is Better?
There in an ongoing debate amongst medical professionals concerning the effectiveness and safety of warfarin in comparison to the non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs)--such as Eliquis, Xarelto, Savaysa, and Pradaxa--for patients with atrial fibrillation. According to the Healio Cardiology today article, "Merits of warfarin, newer … [Read more...]
No Clinical Trials Comparing The Safety Of Eliquis To Xarelto Done Yet
In two medical study reports it seemed that Xarelto (rivaroxaban) was more likely to be involved in a serious bleeding event as an adverse reaction than was either Pradaxa (dabigatran) or Eliquis (apixaban). Earlier this month the medical journal Chest published this article, “Direct comparison of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban for … [Read more...]
What’s in a Name? Debate on What to Call Novel Oral Anticoagulants
Recently, controversy has arisen over what to call the novel oral anticoagulant class of drugs, which includes Pradaxa, Xarelto, Savaysa, and Eliquis. The article "NOAC, DOAC, or TSOAC: What Should We Call Novel Oral Anticoagulants?" provides some interesting information about the different sides of this debate. Here is a list of the possible … [Read more...]
Antidote Drug For Xarelto / Savaysa / Eliquis Is Denied FDA Approval
The following Factor Xa inhibitors, which serve as blood-thinner drugs, are being used by an increasing number of patients for stroke prevention and for treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: Eliquis (apixaban) from Pfizer/Bristol-Myers Squibb; Xarelto (rivaroxaban) from Bayer/Johnson & Johnson; and, Savaysa … [Read more...]
New Studies Investigate Long-Term Anticoagulation Use & Bleeding Risk
According to a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) press release from earlier this month, the PCORI Board of Governors approved $6.5 million for research to compare the potential benefits and harms of popular anticoagulant drugs. The study will include the older anticoagulant, Coumadin (warfarin), as well as the newer "novel … [Read more...]
Doctors Are Concerned About Lack Of Savaysa Antidote To Stop Bleeding
I think it is interesting how this recent Healio – HemOnc Today news reports, “Edoxaban safe, effective for extended prevention of recurrent VTE”, ends by focusing on the continuing lack of any FDA-approve antidote for Savaysa, as well as Eliquis and Xarelto. The growing availability of agents for the reversal of bleeding caused by direct oral … [Read more...]