Bayer HealthCare AG announced the submission of a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) for approval to market rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major orthopedic surgery of the lower limbs. Rivaroxaban is an investigational, oral, once-daily direct Factor Xa inhibitor. Data from one of the pivotal studies (RECORD3) was presented prior to the EMEA submission and revealed that rivaroxaban significantly reduces the risk of VTE in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery compared with enoxaparin, the current standard of care therapy. Rivaroxaban is being jointly developed by Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C."The submission of the data for VTE prevention to the EMEA is an important milestone in the development of this new treatment for the prevention of life-threatening blood clots," said Dr. Kemal Malik, Head of Global Development and member of the Bayer HealthCare Executive Committee. "As an effective and convenient, once-daily oral treatment with a reassuring safety profile, we feel confident that rivaroxaban has the potential to set a new standard of care in the preventative treatment of thrombosis in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery."
VTE is a type of thromboembolic disease that is caused by the obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot. In the EU it is estimated that there are 543,000 deaths due to VTE each year. People undergoing major surgery, in particular total knee or hip replacement, are prone to developing VTE due to a combination of factors such as prolonged bed rest, damage to blood vessels and an increased tendency of the blood to clot. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients undergoing lower limb surgery develop VTE if they do not receive preventative care.
The Marketing Authorization Application is based on data from three Phase III studies of rivaroxaban involving nearly 10,000 patients in total, and an extensive Phase I and Phase II program. One of the Phase III studies was in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery, the results of which were presented at the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) in July 2007 (RECORD3). The results of the other two studies in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery (RECORD1 and RECORD2) will be presented at the upcoming 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, 8-11 December 2007.
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