Daiichi Sankyo initiates major Phase III trial for edoxaban in venous thromboembolism

Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo has initiated a new large-scale pivotal Phase III trial for edoxaban, its investigational oral Factor Xa inhibitor. This new study, called HOKUSAI VTE, is evaluating the safety and efficacy of edoxaban in reducing recurrent venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE).

It is estimated that more than 900,000 fatal and non-fatal VTE events occur in the USA annually, and around 300,000 deaths are related to VTE per year. In Europe, VTE affects more than 750,000 people in six major European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK) annually, with some 370,000 deaths related to VTE annually in these countries.

"The incidence of VTE is predicted to double by 2050," said Harry Buller, Professor of Internal Medicine, chairman of the Department for Vascular Medicine at the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and chairman of the Steering Committee for HOKUSAI VTE. "Based on what we've seen in Phase II and other trials, edoxaban shows promise as an agent to help fulfill the need for treatment options that are safe, effective and more convenient than the current standard of care, which requires extensive monitoring, careful dose adjusting and may have the potential for various drug and food interactions," he added.