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The oral anticlotting drug rivaroxaban reportedly reduces the incidence of stroke, heart attack and death in patients who have suffered an acute coronary syndrome.
But the risk of significant bleeding also increases, in a dose-dependent manner: by 2.2 times for a 5 mg dose and five times for a 20 mg dose.
These findings of the ATLAS ACS-TIMI 46 study are reported in The Lancet`s Online First edition by Dr Jessica Mega and colleagues at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Rivaroxaban inhibits factor Xa, which is involved in the blood-clotting mechanism, and helps prevent venous thromboembolism in patients after orthopaedic surgery.
The authors conclude: “The use of an oral factor Xa inhibitor in patients stabilised after an acute coronary syndrome increases bleeding in a dose-dependent manner and might reduce major ischaemic outcomes.
“On the basis of these observations, a phase III study of low-dose rivaroxaban as adjunctive therapy in these patients is underway.”
Copyright Press Association 2009
