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New Oral Anticoagulants For The Treatment Of Venous Thromboembolism: Understanding Differences And Similarities., Paul P. Dobesh, John Fanikos

Journal Articles: Pharmacy Practice

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure. In the United States, approximately 0.1 % of the population experiences an initial VTE event each year. Anticoagulation therapy is the cornerstone of acute VTE treatment and for prevention of recurrent VTE events. Conventional anticoagulants, including heparin, low-molecular-weight heparins, fondaparinux, and vitamin K antagonists are widely used but have limitations. Newer oral anticoagulant agents, including direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., dabigatran etexilate) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (e.g., rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) have been developed to attempt to overcome some of the limitations of conventional anticoagulant therapy. These …