New anticoagulant reduces heart attacks mortality rates

There is hope for patients with cardiovascular disease. People hospitalized for a heart attack or severe pain in the chest are at risk of relapse and mortality significantly reduced with a new anticoagulant Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson Laboratories and Bayer, according to results of a large clinical trial published this month.

Xarelto – which is the active molecule rivaroxaban – is administered orally in combination with a standard anticoagulant.

The authors of this study in the online version of the U.S. medical journal New England Journal of Medicine, said that Xarelto would still have a drawback: it would result in increased risk of major bleeding than other treatments to make the blood more fluid.

The results were presented at the annual conference of the American Heart Association meeting this weekend in Orlando, Florida.

The researchers followed more than 15 000 patients hospitalized in different countries as a result of a heart attack or unstable angina.

Some of these patients selected at random were treated with the anticoagulant Xarelto combined with a standard. The other took a placebo instead of Xarelto. The study participants were followed for more than a year on average.

Patients treated with Xarelto saw the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke (stroke) reduced by 16% compared to those taking a placebo. The risk of mortality from all causes decreased by over 30% with Xarelto, an inhibitor of blood coagulation. He also reduced by 31% the risk of clot formation with a stent (a kind of metal spring placed inside an artery to keep it open and ensure the flow of blood) compared to controls.

Increased risk of bleeding INTERNALLY

The study authors also found an increased risk of serious internal bleeding with this anticoagulant, but there was no fatal case. “Despite the efforts made so far to treat people suffering from a heart attack or suffering from acute angina, these patients saw their risk of having another heart attack, stroke or death within twelve months, increasing at least 10%, “said Dr. Michael Gibson, Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University and principal investigator in charge of this part of the clinical trial Xarelto.

“We know that the bodies of people who suffer a heart attack or unstable angina produces too much of thrombin, an enzyme that forms blood clots. We investigated whether, by reducing the production of this enzyme with rivaroxaban could also reduce the risk of mortality, stroke and myocardial, “said the doctor.

Another anticoagulant, the Vorapaxar, Merck’s U.S. laboratory, showed no efficacy in combination with another anticoagulant standard to reduce the risk of death or relapse in these patients. The results of the Phase 3 clinical trial, also presented Sunday, revealed no statistically significant difference in the risk of new cardiovascular event or death compared to placebo-treated group. Conducted with 13 000 patients from different countries, the study also shows that the Vorapaxar increases the risk of serious internal bleeding.