Boehringer Ingelheim blood clot drug launched in UK

Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate), a novel orally-administered anticoagulant from Boehringer Ingelheim has been launched in the UK today.

The compound was approved by the European Commission last month following the submission of clincial trial data from the Re-Model and Re-Novate studies in February 2007.

Pradaxa has been approved as a treatment for the prevention of venous thrombembolism in patients who have undergone elective total hip or total knee replacement surgery.

Thrombosis charity Lifeblood reports that the pill could prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year that occur as a result of blood clots and will be available to UK hospitals within a matter of weeks.

Beverly Hunt, medical director of the charity, said: “The number of deaths from venous thromboembolism is nothing short of a public health emergency. The development of new drugs to treat this problem is terribly exciting.”

She added that the development of such drugs offers a significant potential benefit to the NHS.

Dr Bengt Eriksson of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at University Hospital Sahlgrenska Ostra, Sweden said: “The risk of a potentially life-threatening thrombosis is a major concern following major orthopaedic surgery.”

He added that there has existed a need for effective orally-administered anticoagulants with a good safety profile for a number of years, with Pradaxa offering an attractive treatment alternative to existing regimens.