Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa shows benefits in major bleeds

Boehringer Ingelheim has reported data from a post-hoc analysis of five phase III trials that further underlines the safety and effectiveness of its innovative anticoagulant Pradaxa.

It was shown that among patients who experience a major bleeding event following anticoagulant treatments, applying existing management strategies with Pradaxa resulted in better outcomes than was the case when using the older treatment warfarin.

Pradaxa patients experienced a better rate of survival and spent less time in intensive care, with these findings remaining true even without the availability of a specific antidote.

Since an increased risk of bleeding is a known possible complication of all anticoagulant therapies, the dangers of major bleeding events are a key consideration in treatment decisions.

Professor Klaus Dugi, corporate senior vice-president for medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim, said the results "demonstrate that even in the absence of a specific antidote, when existing standard strategies are used, patients can expect a better outcome with Pradaxa than with warfarin should a major bleed occur".

Pradaxa has accrued more than two million patient-years of experience in all licensed indications globally, with 12 company-sponsored trials of the compound currently in progress.