Rivaroxaban Gains Approval In Europe For ACS Indication

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer ) has been approved in Europe for the prevention of atherothrombotic events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke) following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The drug was approved at a dose of 2.5 mg twice-daily and should be used in combination with standard antiplatelet therapy. Rivaroxaban is now the only oral anticoagulant to receive an ACS indication.

The approval is based on data from the pivotal ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51 trial. In the United States, where Xarelto is marketed by Johnson & Johnson, the FDA has twice rejected an ACS indication for rivaroxaban.

The new indication joins the already-approved indications for higher doses of rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing elective hip or knee replacement surgery, for the treatment of, (and prevention of recurrent) DVT and PE, and for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.

“We know that thrombin levels remain elevated long after an ACS event, leaving patients at risk. In the ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51 study, we’ve shown that treating these patients with a low dose of rivaroxaban in combination with standard antiplatelet therapy targets both pathways of clot formation providing more complete long-term protection, including significant reduction in mortality risk,” said C. Michael Gibson, the Principal Investigator of the ATLAS ACS2-TIMI 51 trial, in a Bayer press release. “This approval marks an important shift in the way we deliver protection to patients who are at risk of a secondary atherothrombotic event.”

Source: www.forbes.com