Bristol-Myers and Pfizer's Eliquis sees first European launch, in the UK

US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and partner global pharma behemoth Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) yesterday announced the UK availability of their oral anticoagulant Eliquis (apixaban), marking the first European launch of the drug, which will be rolled out in other markets over the next few months, a company spokeswoman told The Pharma Letter.

Eliquis, which was approved for marketing by the European Commission last month (TPL November 22), is a new prescription only treatment option for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and one or more risk factors such as: prior stroke or transient ischemic attack; aged 75 years or older; hypertension; diabetes mellitus; symptomatic heart failure (NYHA Class ≥ II). The drug was launched in the UK last year for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in adult patients who have undergone elective total hip or knee replacement surgery (TPL: September 21, 2011).

Eliquis is the third novel agent to replace warfarin for those atrial fibrillation patients at risk of stroke, after Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) and Bayer and Johnson & Johnson’s Xarelto (rivaroxaban). It received an initial rejection from the US Food and Drug Administration based on data issues from the pivotal Aristotle trial (TPL June 26).