A twice-daily oral Factor Xa inhibitor, Eliquis (apixaban) has gained an EU licence for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in adult patients who have undergone elective hip or knee replacement surgery.
The approval is based on impressive phase III results that proved the drug’s superiority over Sanofi’s widely used blood thinner Lovenox (enoxaparin) with fewer adverse events.
Olivier Brandicourt, president and general manager of primary care at Pfizer, said: “We are excited to bring this new agent to market in Europe and provide orthopedic surgeons with an option that will help them to prevent VTE in patients undergoing elective total knee or total hip replacement surgery.”
