B-MS and Pfizer to develop anticoagulant apixaban in potential $1B deal

Apixaban, a late-stage anticoagulant candidate, is to be developed and commercialized in a collaboration between US drug majors Bristol-Myers Squibb, which originally discovered the agent, and Pfizer. Under a separate agreement, the firms will also conduct R&D in relation to one of Pfizer's ongoing preclinical drug discovery programs, which is focused on the identification of compounds with potential applications in metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity.

Apixaban deal could earn B-MS $1B

The companies explained that, apixaban, an oral, highly selective factor Xa inhibitor, is being developed as a more targeted alternative to currently-available anticoagulants, which generally affect multiple factors in the coagulation cascade. At present, the drug is being assessed in a Phase III trial for the prevention of venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation.