Are the new blood thinners better than warfarin (Coumadin)?

DOACs have advantages over warfarin: they don't require regular blood tests, involve no food restrictions, and have fewer drug interactions. But, a major downside is cost, which is more than 20 times that of warfarin.

 DOACs now recommended over warfarin to prevent blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation

We are increasingly using DOACs as a first choice for anticoagulation in afib. We are also giving many patients the option to switch from warfarin to DOACs if they are already on warfarin. In general, this change can be made easily. The only patients with afib who should stay on warfarin rather than using a DOAC are those with a mechanical artificial heart valve.

 DOACs Part 2: Bleeding and Reversal Agents

The most important principle to remember in the management of hemodynamically unstable patients who are bleeding and taking DOACs is that reversing or withholding a DOAC does not stop bleeding, but rather, returns the patient to an un-anticoagulated state. It is therefore imperative that resuscitative measures to stop the bleeding are taken as a priority over reversing the DOAC.

 New oral anticoagulants: which one should my patient use?

The new oral anticoagulants are rapidly replacing warfarin for several indications. In contrast to warfarin, which lowers the functional levels of all of the vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, the new agents target either factor Xa or thrombin.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)

For over 50 years, warfarin was the only anticoagulant available in pill form, but now the DOACs offer more choices for patients who need to take an anticoagulant medication. The four DOACs currently available in the United States are dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban.

Direct oral anticoagulants versus warfarin: is new always better than the old?

Two strategies have emerged to improve the clinical utility of preventive anticoagulation: (a) the development of a new class of anticoagulants, known as the direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban; and (b) better optimisation of warfarin use by understanding the common genetic variation in drug response and by making INR testing and dose adjustment more convenient with self-testing devices.

Use of direct oral anticoagulants in daily practice

This review addresses the practical considerations for physicians in DOAC use, including indication, dosage, monitoring, pharmacokinetic profile, drug-drug interaction, and reversal of direct anticoagulation effects in case of bleeding.

A Prescription Blood Thinner Beat Aspirin at Preventing Recurrence of Blood Clots, Study Finds

Low doses of the drug marketed as Xarelto from Janssen Pharmaceuticals were found more effective than aspirin—although the drug also is much more expensive.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Can the New Oral Blood Thinners Be Used?

It is not known at this point whether DOACs are equally, more or less effective as/than warfarin in patients with APS. Data from clinical trials directly comparing DOACs with warfarin are not yet available. Given the absence of data, no formal recommendations or guidelines exist on this topic. It is an individualized decision between a physician and patient with APS whether to use warfarin or a DOAC for the treatment of DVT or PE.

Benefit, risk and cost of new oral anticoagulants and warfarin in atrial fibrillation; A multicriteria decision analysis.

Apixaban (Eliquis} should be considered as the preferred anticoagulant option -due to a better benefit-risk balance and a minor cost influence- followed by dabigatran, warfarin and rivaroxaban.

Better Blood Thinners, Less Aspirin in Guidelines for Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Along with more effective medications, guidelines include an improved risk factor calculator and increased use of ablation.

New anti-clotting drugs linked to lower risk of serious bleeding

New drugs known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) used to treat serious blood clots are associated with reduced risks of major bleeding compared with the older anti-clotting drug, warfarin, finds a new study.

Pradaxa And Xarelto: Top Heart Doctors Concerned Over New Blood Thinners

For millions of heart patients, a pair of new blood thinners have been heralded as the first replacements in 60 years for warfarin, a pill whose hardships and risks have deterred many from using the stroke-prevention medicine. But growing complaints of risks and deaths tied to the new crop of drugs have made some top U.S. cardiologists hesitant to prescribe them. Some are proposing a more rigorous monitoring regimen for when they are used.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Novel Oral Anticoagulants

There was a lot of interest in the introduction of NOACs for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. These novel agents include dabigatran (Pradaxa) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010, rivaroxaban (Xarelto) cleared in 2011, apixaban (Eliquis) cleared in 2012 and edoxaban (Savaysa) approved in 2015. Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor. Rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban are all factor Xa inhibitors.

Eliquis, Blood Clot Preventer, Works As Well As Warfarin With Less Bleeding

The blood clot preventer Eliquis, sold by Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, proved as effective as widely used warfarin in treating a dangerous condition known as venous thromboembolism and caused far less bleeding, according to data from a large clinical trial.

More antidotes for newer blood thinners

The wait is over for an antidote to stop rare uncontrolled bleeding linked to some newer blood thinners. The FDA approved andexanet alfa (AndexXa) on May 3, 2018. It's the first and only antidote to reverse bleeding in people taking apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), or edoxaban (Savaysa). Another newer blood thinner — dabigatran (Pradaxa) — already has an approved antidote called idarucizumab (Praxbind).

New oral anticoagulants: a practical guide for physicians

New oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are an alternative for vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) to prevent stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Unlike VKAs, these anticoagulants do not require routine INR monitoring and possess favorable pharmacological properties. The lack of an effective antidote, their cost, or reservations in patients with kidney disease may explain their slow rate of expansion. Safe and effective use of these new drugs will depend on clinical experience amongst the medical community. This review discusses the current NOACs, providing practical and easy-to-use algorithms for application in the clinical routine.

The New Anticoagulants

Rivaroxaban is approved for surgical DVT prophylaxis, stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and treatment of DVT and PE. To date, apixaban is only approved for stroke prevention in valvular atrial fibrillation.