Boehringer Ingelheim’s dabigatran tested to replace warfarin

An oral blood thinner manufactured by pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim is being tested to compare its performance against traditional treatments for blood clots.

Researchers are set to examine 2,000 patients to ascertain if dabigatran blood thinning treatment could provide a more effective long-term solution for patients with leg and lung blood clots in comparison with standard medication such as warfarin.

Heading the research is a pulmonologist from the Medical College of Georgia, who claims that warfarin is a relatively high maintenance medication for people with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolisms and is looking for a treatment that is less affected by other factors.

“We are looking for medicines that are more like most others we take – they are not affected by our diet and by every other pill we take,” says Dr James R Gossage.

He adds that the research is hoping to find a blood-thinning treatment which is “going to work the same way whether you are eating broccoli or spinach or taking penicillin or some other antibiotic”.

The American Heart Association estimates that about one in 1,000 people in the US are struck down with DVT every year.