FDA approves Eliquis to prevent clots after hip, knee surgery

By Reuters Staff

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators have approved an additional use of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's anticoagulant Eliquis (apixaban) to prevent blood clots in the legs and lungs of patients who have undergone surgery to receive artificial hips or knees.

The drug is already approved and sold in partnership with Pfizer Inc to prevent blood clots that can cause strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The drugmakers, in a joint release on Friday, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the new use, noting that each year in the United States there are about 719,000 total knee replacement surgeries and 332,000 hip replacements.

After such surgeries, patients are at greater risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal.

With this new indication, Eliquis will compete with Xarelto (rivaroxaban), a similar drug from Johnson & Johnson and Bayer AG that is also approved for use after knee and hip replacements, as well as to prevent strokes among those with atrial fibrillation.

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