Boehringer Ingelheim to reduce cost of Pradaxa

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that it will cut the cost of its oral anticoagulant Pradaxa in the UK.

The drug was recently approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Pradaxa is a prescription blood-thinning medicine used to reduce the risk of stroke and prevent blood clots forming in the body.

Although Nice recommended the treatment as a cost-effective option at 2.52 pounds per day, the company will reduce the price by 13 percent to 2.20 pounds from next month.

"We believe it is important to make our medicines as affordable as possible in this tough financial climate," said Duncan Cantor, director of communications at Boehringer Ingelheim.

"The NHS now has every opportunity to make sure this medicine is available to all eligible patients," he added.

Under the NHS constitution, more than 900,000 patients should have the legal right to receive Pradaxa if their clinician considers it appropriate.