New drug could reduce blood clots in joint replacement patients

Older patients who have hip or knee replacements could benefit from a new pill that lowers their risk of suffering potentially fatal blood clots. The blood-thinning drug, called apixaban, has been found in clinical trials to prevent clotting that can lead to sudden death while not increasing the risk of bleeding.It is now available in Britain for the thousands of patients, often elderly, who undergo joint replacement surgery that leaves them at higher risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis while immobile or recovering.According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper Dr Ander Cohen, Honorary Consultant Vascular Physician at King's College Hospital, London, said: “Blood clots are responsible for around 25,000 preventable deaths in the UK annually and preventing them following, for example, major joint surgery, is a priority for the NHS. Apixaban represents a new option in clot prevention for UK surgeons. “Apixaban is an oral option for patients once they return home after surgery – the time when they are most at risk of clotting complications. As it is taken by mouth, it offers patients an alternative to an injected anticoagulant. “Clinical data showed that apixaban was more effective than the anticoagulant enoxaparin and importantly, it also showed no increase in bleeding rates compared to enoxaparin.” Two pharmaceutical giants, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, have been working since 2007 to develop the new blood-thinning pill. Clinical trials involving more than 8,000 patients, all of whom had undergone planned hip or knee replacement surgery, found that it reduced the risk of blood clots while not putting them at greater risk of bleeding. People who are unable to move after having new joints fitted are in danger or developing Venous Thromboembolism, a combination of two serious conditions. Deep Vein Thrombosis, known to affect long-distance travellers, is a blood clot in the leg that can progress to Pulmonary Embolism, a blood clot in the lungs that can kill. Dr Rick Lones, UK Executive Medical Director, Bristol-Myers Squibb, said: “By making apixaban available to doctors and their patients in the UK – an important milestone for the Alliance – we hope to help reduce the burden of blood clots in patients undergoing elective hip and knee replacement." Earlier this year apixaban was also found to reduce the risk of stroke among patients with the same heart condition that Tony Blair suffered from. The blood-thinning agent was said to be “vastly superior” to aspirin in lowering the chances of stroke for people who have atrial fibrillation (AF), whose symptoms include a “fluttering” heartbeat.