Portola Pharmaceuticals has designed a treatment to reverse the effects of blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis. The anti-anticoagulant came through in a pair of Phase III trials and is poised for final FDA submission.
The treatment, andexanet alfa, works as a decoy, fooling these types of drugs into targeting it instead of the body’s coagulation-regulating enzymes, thus reversing their effects and keeping patients safe in major bleeding events.
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published late-stage studies that found Portola’s therapy reversed anticoagulation within two to five minutes and sustained the effect throughout a two-hour infusion.
Antidotes like that of andexanet alfa have the potential to increase use of next-generation anticoagulants like Xarelto. The company began FDA submission last quarter and is planning to complete the final application by year end.
Xarelto Background
Xarelto and Pradaxa, both prescription blood thinners, and the serious risks associated with use, are being investigated by the attorneys of Sheller, P.C.
Prescription blood thinners have been on the market since the 1950s, with the most recognized brand being Coumadin. While anticoagulants can be useful therapy for patients, they are associated with a risk of bleeding.
Newer blood thinning drugs Xarelto and Pradaxa both come along with different and sometimes life-threatening risks. The problem lies in the one key difference with new group of blood thinners says an article on the pharmaceutical industry website Fierce Pharma: “Warfarin’s effects can be quickly reversed with an antidote (to stop the bleeding). That’s not true of the new drugs, Xarelto and Pradaxa.”
Therefore, these drugs do thin the blood as they are intended, but uncontrollable bleeding with little to no “fix” is a serious risk to the patient. In other words, if a patient begins bleeding on Xarelto, there is no antidote.
If you or someone you know have experienced an uncontrollable bleeding side effect while taking Xarelto or Pradaxa, you may have claim for a lawsuit. We are representing clients who have filed suit in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in connection with the serious injuries caused by the drug. Contact the attorneys at Sheller, P.C. for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. Call today: 800-883-2299.
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