Feds Approve Pradaxa-like Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light to a new blood thinner called Eliquis, which will be used to treat some patients with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat condition.

The FDA approval, which came last week, has the potential to turn Eliquis into a “blockbuster” for manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb and for Pfizer, which will market it, says an article in The New York Times. The drug, also known as apixaban, could be worth billions of dollars, given some 6 million Europeans and 5.8 million U.S. citizens have irregular heartbeat.

Like Pradaxa, Eliquis belongs to a new group of medications that replace warfarin, an older drug used for preventing blood clots in heart patients and after hip or knee replacement surgery. Eliquis can be prescribed to reduce the chances of stroke or potentially lethal blood clots for those with atrial fibrillation. However, Eliquis should not be used in patients with artificial heart valves or with heart valve problems, said the FDA.

Regulators in the European Union had already approved Eliquis for atrial fibrillation. However, regulators on both continents will certainly want to keep a close eye on Eliquis after the problems associated with Pradaxa. An analysis of several clinical trials encompassing 30,000 patients using Pradaxa definitively linked the drug to a 33 percent increase in heart attack risk. Following this, the FDA investigated many reports of serious Pradaxa side effects, including bleeding, stroke, and death. Many of those afflicted have filed Pradaxa lawsuits.

If you or a loved one has been injured by Pradaxa, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Pradaxa lawyer at Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation.

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