Bayer HealthCare asked for further Xarelto data by NICE

Bayer HealthCare has been asked to supply further clinical data to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to support a potential recommendation for its blood clot treatment Xarelto.

The regulatory body is currently appraising the therapy for patients affected by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), as well as for the prevention of recurrent DVT and pulmonary embolisms following an acute DVT in adults.

Draft guidance published by NICE this week has suggested that the drug could offer some advantages, but said further information on its clinical and cost effectiveness needs to be provided.

Meindert Boysen, programme director for technology appraisals at NICE, suggested that Xarelto could be a "useful alternative" to treatment with warfarin, which can often be a high-maintenance process that causes stress to patients.

The manufacturer, healthcare professionals and members of the public are now being invited to comment on these preliminary recommendations, which are available for public consultation.

Xarelto is one of four developmental Bayer HealthCare drugs that the company believes to have billion-dollar blockbuster sales potential.