Bayer, J&J tout rivaroxaban data

In a head-to-head study against Sanofi's Lovenox, Bayer and J&J's oral anti-clotting drug rivaroxaban proved superior in preventing venous blood clots in patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery. Lovenox, which is the current standard of care, is given twice daily. "Only 6.9 percent of patients treated with Rivaroxaban experienced thomboembolisms, compared with 10.1 percent for the comparison group...This reflects a 31 percent decrease in relative risk," noted Dow Jones. This was the third trial to demonstrate the drug's superiority over Lovenox. An NDA is planned for the third quarter of this year. The drug is also being developed for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and VTE treatment.

- see the rivaroxaban release
- here's the Dow Jones brief

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