Eliquis in UK for AF
pharmafile | December 13, 2012 | News story | Sales and Marketing | AF, BMS, Eliquis, NVAF, Pfizer
Eliquis has been made available in the UK today to prevent stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer’s oral blood-thinner was approved last month in this indication in Europe, the first time the drug has been authorised for this patient group anywhere in the world.
It is an important breakthrough for the BMS/Pfizer alliance since rivals such as Bayer’s Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Boehringher Ingelheim’s Pradaxa (dabigatran) are already set in this field.
AF sufferers are more likely to develop blood clots because their erratic heart rhythm causes turbulent blood flow within the heart, leading to a five-fold increase in stroke risk.
Eliquis (apixaban) is an oral direct Factor Xa inhibitor, taken twice a day, which targets a key blood-clotting protein to prevent clots forming. It is more effective than the 50-year old drug warfarin at preventing strokes or systemic embolism, and results in less bleeding in patients.
The ARISTOTLE and AVERROES studies compared Eliquis to warfarin in 18,000 patients with NVAF, and Eliquis to aspirin in 5,500.
“The availability of apixaban for doctors and their patients in the UK is an important milestone for the prevention of stroke in patients with NVAF,” said Rick Lones, executive medical director, BMS UK and Ireland.
“The risk of stroke in these patients is a serious public health concern,” he added. The most common heart rhythm disorder, AF is believed to cause 12,500 strokes in the UK every year.
The European Commission decision means Eliquis can be used with NVAF patients who have one or more risk factors, including prior stroke or transient ischaemic attack, hypertension, diabetes and symptomatic heart failure.
Eliquis is already indicated for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events in adult patients who have undergone elective hip or knee replacement surgery.
Adam Hill
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