Bayer HealthCare reports positive trial data for Xarelto

Bayer HealthCare has reported positive data from a new phase III clinical study of Xarelto, in which the drug met its primary endpoint.

The rivaroxaban therapy has been trialled among Japanese patients in a study called J-Rocket AF, which was conducted among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke, in order to evaluate its safety.

When compared to warfarin, it was shown to offer non-inferior performance when assessing composite criteria of major and non-major clinically relevant bleeding.

Dr Masatsugu Hori, steering committee chairman for the latest trial, said: "It is important that rivaroxaban demonstrated non-inferior safety and that there were numerically fewer intracranial haemorrhages versus warfarin."

Thus far, Xarelto has been approved in more than 85 different countries as a means of preventing venous thromboembolism events among adult patients following elective hip or knee replacement surgery.

Earlier this month, Bayer HealthCare announced a new research alliance with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, which will focus on studies into pulmonary hypertension.