Bayer HealthCare receives EU approval for Xarelto

Bayer HealthCare has been granted European regulatory approval for Xarelto in a pair of new indications.

The European Commission has ratified the treatment as a means of preventing stroke among patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, as well as for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis.

This comes following positive results from clinical trials, with the new approvals coming in addition to its existing specification for the prevention of venous thromboembolism among surgery patients.

It is now the only oral anticoagulant approved in all three of these indications among all 27 EU member states, offering new convenience benefits for patients and clinicians alike.

Dr Jorg Reinhardt, chairman of the Bayer HealthCare executive committee, said: "Today's approval in these new indications by the European Commission marks the culmination of years of intensive research and underscores Bayer's innovative strength."

This comes after Bayer applied for EU and US approval of a new contraceptive earlier this month that offers long-term efficacy over three years.