Bayer HealthCare wins NICE recommendation for Xarelto

Bayer HealthCare's promising new therapy Xarelto has been granted a recommendation from the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Draft guidance from the regulatory body has endorsed the rivaroxaban treatment for NHS use in England and Wales against stroke and systemic embolism among certain patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

The drug has been shown to offer safety and efficacy benefits among atrial fibrillation sufferers affected by one or more risk factors, such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, old age, diabetes mellitus and prior stroke history.

Final guidance on Xarelto is expected as early as this month, with Bayer to work alongside NHS fundholders to incorporate the therapy into local services.

Luis-Felipe Graterol, medical director for Bayer HealthCare UK, said: "Xarelto has the potential to make a positive difference to NHS anticoagulation services by helping simplify clot prevention, particularly for the one-third of patients who are not currently achieving an adequate level of stroke protection with warfarin."

This comes after the company published phase III clinical trial data last month showing Xarelto's efficacy as a therapy for pulmonary embolism.