Benefits of Boehringer's Pradaxa come at high cost, study finds

Treating patients with the new blood thinning medication dabigatran (German independent drug major Boehringer Ingelheim’s recently approved Pradaxa), instead of warfarin results in significantly higher per patient costs and higher net costs per stroke avoided, according to a new study by US pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics.

Dabigatran is a type of blood-thinning medication used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia. The pivotal FDA approval study (RE-LY) (1) found dabigatran may be safer than warfarin for some patients and may reduce the risk of stroke more than warfarin. Unlike warfarin, which has been available for more than 50 years, dabigatran does not require monthly blood tests to monitor the drug's effectiveness.

Total net cost to avoid one stroke would be $253,210