The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7488 p144
9 February 2008

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Bleeding risks with idraparinux

Discovery of increased bleeding risk for patients taking the activated factor X inhibitor idraparinux has prompted the early termination of a 4,576-patient trial.

In The Lancet study (2008;371:315), patients receiving the drug to prevent thromboembolism experienced similar rates of mortality as those randomised to receive a vitamin K antagonist, but their risk of bleeding was greater (P<0.0001).

Thromboembolism was less likely in the idraparinux group than in the vitamin K antagonist one (P=0.007).