AstraZeneca's reveals new anticoagulant data

AstraZeneca's oral thrombin inhibitor, H376/95, the first in a new classof drugs and the first oral anticoagulant for 50 years, has shown promise in preventing venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery. In a Phase II study, published in the journal Haemostasis (2000:30; supplement 1), H376/95 was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of venous thromboembolism compared to the low-molecular weight heparin dalteparin.

The trial, dubbed METHRO II, involved a total of 1,916 patients who were administered dalteparin or one of four doses of subcutaneous melagatran followed by oral H376/95 (which converts to melagatran after absorption). The highest dose of H376/95 was significantly associated with the lowest incidence of thromboembolic complications, and a significantly lower incidence than dalteparin. However, there was no difference between AstraZeneca's compound and dalteparin in terms of bleeding.

Aims to replace warfarin and LMWHs