Study Shows Savaysa more cost-effective than Xarelto at Stroke Prevention

Since 2010, three new blood thinners, Xarelto, Pradaxa and Eliquis, have battled it out for supremacy in the fast-growing novel oral anticoagulant market.

And while Pradaxa was the first to gain FDA approval, Xarelto has reigned as the market leader for years with around twice as many prescriptions as its nearest competitor.

However, a new study showing alternative drug Savaysa may be more cost effective, and mounting legal pressure on Xarelto and Pradaxa from thousands of internal bleeding lawsuits, could chip into Xarelto’s market share.

Savaysa is Latest Blood Thinning Alternative

Daiichi Sankyo’s anticoagulant drug Savaysa was approved by the FDA in January of 2015 to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, as well as for the prevention of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis blood clots.

Currently, it ranks a distant fourth in the blood thinner market with less than 1 million prescriptions each year, compared to over 4.5 million for Xarelto.

Study Shows Xarelto Less Cost-Effective

Earlier this year, a study based in Cambridge, Massachusetts was published that compared the relative cost-effectiveness of Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and Savaysa (edoxaban) for use in preventing strokes in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Using data available form the completed clinical trials of both drugs, researchers simulated the lifetime risk and treatment costs for stroke, blood clots, major internal bleeding, heart attack and death.

Based on the measure of quality-adjusted life years gained, the results showed Savaysa was dominant or a “highly cost-effective alternative” to Xarelto in more than 88% of the examples.

Xarelto Leads in FDA Reports and Lawsuits

Experts also point out that Savaysa has not been plagued with the same number of FDA adverse event reports for internal bleeding, although this is attributed to its lower market share.

Currently, the makers of Xarelto face more than 4,000 lawsuits for internal bleeding hospitalization or death, following a record-breaking $650 million settlement paid to Pradaxa patients last year.

For more information on anticoagulant treatment alternatives, or to speak with a lawyer about your internal bleeding case, contact DrugNews today.

Sources:

Miller, J. Cost-effectiveness of edoxaban versus rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in the US. Dove Press. (May 22, 2016). Retrieved from https://www.dovepress.com/cost-effectiveness-of-edoxaban-versus-rivaroxaban-for-stroke-preventio-peer-reviewed-article-CEOR