Sanofi-Aventis announces results of Exclaim study

Sanofi-Aventis has announced the results of the Exclaim (Extended clinical prophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients) study, with the firm reporting the benefit administering a course of prophylaxis with Clexane (enoxaparin) for five weeks compared to ten days in patients with reduced mobility.

Clexane is a low-molecular weight heparin obtained via the alkaline degradation of heparin benzyl ester and has been used for 20 years to treat 185 million patients worldwide.

The company reported that this extended administration of the drug resulted in a 44 per cent reduction in venous thromboembolism (VTE) events, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, with this decrease being deemed statistically significant.

Professor Russell Hull, from the University of Calgary, said: “Exclaim is the first study to assess the benefit of extended thromboprophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients with reduce mobility and demonstrate the clinical benefit of five weeks of enoxaparin treatment versus ten days in this patient population.”

He added that the Exclaim trial will follow in the path of the Medenox study in becoming a landmark investigation for the improvement of standard of care available for patients at high risk of contracting VTE, while also confirming the status of enoxaparin as a reference treatment to prevent the disease in medical patients.

In April 2007, Sanofi-Aventis announced the publication of clinical trial results showing the superiority of Clexane to unfractioned heparin as a preventative treatment for VTE.