CardioExchange Archive

November 15th, 2010

ROCKET AF Hits Chicago

Larry Husten, PHD

ROCKET AF hit the AHA on Monday morning. Results of ROCKET AF (Stroke Prevention Using the Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibitor Rivaroxaban Compared With Warfarin in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation) had been the topic of intense speculation and interest. The trial showed that the experimental factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban was as effective as warfarin in […]

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November 2nd, 2010

Is Dabigatran More Cost-Effective Than Warfarin in AF?

Amy Herman

Dabigatran, newly approved by the FDA to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), might turn out to be a cost-effective alternative to warfarin, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine study. Using data from the RE-LY trial, James Freeman and colleagues modeled the quality-adjusted survival and cost-effectiveness of dabigatran compared with high- or low-dose warfarin […]

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November 1st, 2010

ROCKET AF: Is Rivaroxaban Ready for Blast Off?

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

With the approval of dabigatran and now the preliminary and partial results of ROCKET AF, we’ll  need to be familiar with much more than just warfarin to address the anticoagulation needs of our patients. The early word on ROCKET AF, which will be presented at AHA, is that rivaroxaban is at least as effective as warfarin […]

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November 1st, 2010

Rivaroxaban Equals Warfarin in ROCKET AF

Larry Husten, PHD

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was as effective as warfarin in patients with AF in the ROCKET AF study, according to an announcement released by Bayer on Sunday ahead of the  trial’s scheduled presentation at the AHA on November 15. ROCKET AF randomized more than 14,000 patients with nonvalvular AF to either rivaroxaban or warfarin. The goal of the […]

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October 26th, 2010

Dabigatran to Cost $237 per Month at the Drugstore

Larry Husten, PHD

It looks like Pradaxa (dabigatran) will cost about $237 a month at the drugstore counter. A Boehringer Ingelheim representative says the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of the drug is set at $6.75 per day for 2 pills. The price will apply to both the 150-mg and the 75-mg capsules.  According to knowledgeable experts, the retail […]

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October 22nd, 2010

Warfarin or Dabigatran? The Thick and Thin of Deciding on an Anticoagulant

Anju Nohria, MD

These four patients are receiving chronic anticoagulation therapy. Read the descriptions of their cases and decide which, if any, of them you would switch to dabigatran.   Case 1  A 69-year-old man with a history of hypertension and colon cancer was found to be in atrial fibrillation during a preoperative assessment for colon resection. Metoprolol was […]

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October 20th, 2010

FDA Approves Dabigatran for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA announced on Tuesday that it has approved Pradaxa (dabigatran, Boehringer Ingelheim) for the prevention of stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. The drug will be available in 75-mg and 150-mg capsules. “Unlike warfarin, which requires patients to undergo periodic monitoring with blood tests, such monitoring is not necessary for Pradaxa,” said […]

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August 31st, 2010

Positive Results for Rivaroxaban in EINSTEIN-DVT

Larry Husten, PHD

The EINSTEIN-DVT study tested the effect of the new oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban in the setting of DVT. The open-label, non-inferiority study randomized more than 3,400 patients with acute, symptomatic DVT to either oral rivaroxaban or conventional therapy with enoxaparin followed by warfarin or acenocoumarol for 3, 6, or 12 months, based on the attending physician’s […]

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