Boehringer Ingelheim anticoagulant gets positive NICE appraisal

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced that its novel orally-administered anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The compound has been given a positive appraisal from the body for the primary prevention of venous thromboembolic events in adult patients who have undergone elective total hip or knee replacement surgery on the NHS.

NICE said Pradaxa was likely to have equivalent levels of clinical and cost effectiveness to the current standard of care in this indication, which usually require monitoring or are administered via injection.

It added that the oral administration of Pradaxa requires no monitoring and improve compliance with therapy.

Professor Ajay Kakkar professor of surgical sciences at Barts and the London School of Medicine, said: “Today’s recommendation by NICE for the novel orally active anticoagulant dabigatran provides an important extension to our armamentarium for preventing potentially fatal blood clots after total hip and knee replacement surgery.”

He added this further enables the use of best practice in hospital prevention, while venous thromboembolism remains a significant clinical challenge.

In April 2008, Boehringer Ingelheim announced the launch of Pradaxa in the UK, after it received approval from the European Commission a month earlier.