Bayer/Janssen's Xarelto poised to lead sales in VTE market: report

German drug major Bayer (BAYN: DE) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen's Xarelto (rivaroxaban) will be the sales-leading therapy among the novel oral anticoagulants in the combined venous thromboembolism (VTE) markets, according to a new report from health care advisory firm Decision Resources.

Xarelto benefits from its first-to-market advantage for VTE treatment/secondary prophylaxis, the removal of the need for bridging with a low-molecular-weight heparin in the VTE treatment/secondary prophylaxis setting and once-daily dosing. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) Eliquis (apixaban) will be Xarelto's closest competitor, but its later launch in both the VTE primary prophylaxis and VTE treatment/secondary prophylaxis markets, as well as its twice-daily dosing, will likely limit its sales relative to Xarelto during the 2012 to 2022 forecast period.

Major markets sector sales forecast to grow to $7.3 billion in 2022