New Anti-Stroke Drug

They are describing Pradaxa as the "holy grail" of blood-thinning drugs and the first major pharmacological breakthrough for people at an increased risk of having a stroke in 50 years.

Up to 1.2 million people in Britain live with a condition called atrial fibrillation (AF) - having a quick and irregular heartbeat - which puts them at an increased risk of stroke. The heart condition accounts for 14 per cent of the 150,000 strokes that happen annually, or more than 20,000 a year.

Some 500,000 AF sufferers are currently prescribed the blood-thinning drug warfarin, traditionally used as rat poison.

For 50 years it has been used to lower the risk of a type of stroke caused by blood clots, known as ischaemic stroke, among people with AF.

 
However, patients need regular blood checks to ensure they are receiving the right dosage, as levels that are too high can cause dangerous bleeding. It can also interfere with other drugs like antibiotics, while changes in diet can affect how well it works.

Now updated results of a clinical trial have shown that Pradaxa, also known by its generic name dabigatran etexilate, can reduce the number of strokes by a third compared to using warfarin.

A study of 18,000 people with atrial fibrillation (AF) has found that taking 150mg of Pradaxa daily reduces the risk of stroke by between 30 and 39 per cent, depending on the type of AF.

He said of Pradaxa: "This drug seems to prevent clots better than warfarin but with less bleeding, which is pretty much the holy grail for such drugs."

It works by lessening the effects of thrombin, the protein that controls clotting. 
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