New hope for blood clot sufferers
Reported December 07, 2009
Results from a major trial look set to change the way thousands of patients are treated for blood clots in the UK.
Experts believe dabigatran capsules could soon replace warfarin, the “rat poison” blood-thinning drug given to patients at risk from lung clots, heart attacks and strokes.
The new study showed both treatments were equally effective against venous thromboembolism (VTE) – potentially deadly clotting that can arise from diseased arteries, irregular heart beat, injuries and surgery.
But unlike patients taking warfarin, those on dabigatran do not have to be constantly monitored to avoid overdosing.
With warfarin it is easy for a patient to suffer excessive bleeding from wounds or ulcers. The drug also reacts badly with certain foods, including green vegetables and grapefruit, and other medicines.
Boehringer Ingelheim hopes to launch dabigatran under the brand name Pradaxa as a general VTE treatment in the UK next summer.
The pharmaceutical company is applying for a license from drug regulators and also hopes to win the approval of the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which issues guidelines on the cost effectiveness of NHS treatments.
Dabigatran is already licensed for patients undergoing hip and knee replacements in the UK. Treating one patient with the capsules costs £4.20 per day.
VTE, which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism – a potentially fatal blood clot on the lungs – causes between 25,000 and 32,000 hospital deaths in the UK each year. The direct and indirect cost to the UK of managing VTE is estimated at £640 million a year.
A total of 2,539 VTE patients from seven countries including the UK participated in the Re-Cover trial. Just over half took dabigatran for six months while the remainder were treated with warfarin.
Source : The Press Association