The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Daiichi Sankyo's Lixiana (edoxaban tosylate) to treat patients suffering from blood clots in the legs and lungs.
NICE has recommended the drug to treat and prevent recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in adults.
Edoxaban tosylate is an oral anticoagulant, which directly inhibits factor X (factor Xa) that is a crucial component in the formation of blood clots.
It is one of the class of blood-thinning drugs called non-VKA oral anti-coagulants (NOACs), which are used as an alternative to warfarin.
Edoxaban has already obtained European marketing approval to treat DVT and PE, as well as to prevent recurrent DVT and PE in adults.
Daiichi Sankyo UK general manager Dr Simon Clough said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer patients and doctors in England and Wales a new easy-to-use alternative in the treatment armoury against VTE."
The global Phase III trial Hokusai-VTE study assessed the efficacy and safety of edoxaban against warfarin in 8,292 patients with either acute symptomatic deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or both.
According to the firm, the trial demonstrated that edoxaban met the primary efficacy endpoint of non-inferiority compared to warfarin, following initial use of heparin in both arms, for the treatment and prevention of recurrent symptomatic VTE.
NICE health technology evaluation centre director professor Carole Longson said: "The newer oral anticoagulants like edoxaban tosylate are an alternative to warfarin as the mainstay of treatment to prevent recurrent blood clots, however their use shows wide variation across the country."
