New clot-busting drug

Patients with a common heart condition called atrial fibrillation could now benefit from a new clot-busting drug called rivaroxaban (Xarelto). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance recommending the oral drug, which helps to prevent the blood from clotting. It works by preventing a substance called Factor Xa from enabling the formation of thrombin and fibrin, key components in the formation of blood clots. This is particularly important for people with atrial fibrillation, who have an irregular heart beat and are more susceptible to blood clots and stroke. Professor Carole Longson, director of NICE's Health Technology Evaluation Centre, said: 'Rivaroxaban, like dabigatran etexilate, which NICE recently approved as an option for this indication, can benefit people with atrial fibrillation. 'We are therefore pleased to recommend rivaroxaban as another cost-effective option for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation.' The drug's approval was welcomed by the British Heart Foundation, which said it would benefit some atrial fibrillation patients. Dee Maddock, the charity's senior cardiac nurse, observed that rivaroxaban does not require close monitoring like warfarin and is just as effective for preventing stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.