Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb publish positive new apixaban data

Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb have published new clinical trial data demonstrating the benefits of their venous thromboembolism (VTE) drug apixaban.

The partners have completed a phase III study called Advance-3 which evaluated the safety and efficacy of apixaban in reducing the incidence of VTE in patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery, compared to a leading alternative.

Apixaban was shown to provide a statistically superior performance to the control drug in accordance with this primary endpoint, while providing comparable rates of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding.

Dr Michael Rud Lassen of the Hoersholm Hospital in Copenhagen, lead investigator for the study, said the results were encouraging, while noting the advantageous nature of apixaban's convenient oral administration.

The drug is also being trialled as a therapy for preventing strokes among atrial fibrillation sufferers.

Positive trial data was published by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb in August 2010, comparing the efficacy of apixaban in this specification to aspirin.