New drug to prevent strokes could replace rat poison

Published on Sunday 30 August 2009 22:42

A NEW blood-thinning drug could end the use of rat poison as a primary medical treatment to prevent stroke, it has been claimed.

For half a century, thousands of patients at risk of stroke have been given warfarin to prevent blood clotting.

But treatment with the drug, which is commonly used to kill vermin, is risky. Doses have to be carefully watched and adjusted to prevent excessive bleeding from cuts or stomach ulcers, requiring frequent clinic visits.

Warfarin can also interact badly with other drugs and certain foods, including green vegetables and grapefruit.

The new drug, Pradaxa, works in a different way and is far safer. Patients taking the pill twice a day do not have to be constantly checked for signs of overdosing, and can eat what they like. The drug is also much easier to use alongside other medicines.

Results from a trial yesterday showed that Pradaxa was 34 per cent better at reducing the risk of stroke and blood clots in at-risk patients than well-controlled warfarin. Death rates were also reduced by 15 per cent when patients were given the drug.

More than 18,000 patients from 44 countries took part in the three-year trial, the largest of its kind.

Participants had an average age of 71 and all suffered from atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that greatly increases the risk of stroke. They were randomly assigned to treatment either with Pradaxa or warfarin.

The findings were presented yesterday at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in Barcelona and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Professor Stuart Connolly, one of the leading investigators, said: "The results… exceeded all our expectations.

"We now have an oral treatment which offers superior protection from stroke with less bleeding and without the need for routine monitoring."