Bayer/Ortho-McNeil's VTE drug Xarelto will earn peak-year sales of $500 million to $1 billion

Following its expected launch in the USA in 2012 for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in medically ill patients, the overall uptake of German drug major Bayer (BAY: DE) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) unit Ortho-McNeil’s Xarelto (rivaroxaban) could be constrained in this indication by a perception of an increased risk of bleeding, says advisory firm Decision Resources. Nonetheless Xarelto will achieve blockbuster potential in the world’s major pharmaceutical markets, it adds.

“Although these subgroup analyses will enable this oral factor Xa inhibitor to secure approval in the USA for the potentially lucrative indication of VTE primary prophylaxis in medically ill patients, a perception of an increased risk of bleeding could constrain its uptake.”

The Pharmacor 2011 findings from the topic titled Venous Thromboembolism reveal that, following the recently-released MAGELLAN clinical trial data that demonstrated Xarelto’s non-inferiority over Sanofi’s Lovenox (enoxaparin; the current standard of care for VTE) in the first phase of the trial, Decision Resources forecasts Xarelto will earn peak-year VTE sales of $500 million to $1 billion in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Japan.