"NICE" news for Bayer, as UK watchdog backs Xarelto for AF

23 May 2012

There was good news today (May 23) for German drug major Bayer (BAYN: DE), when the UK’s drug watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published final guidance recommending National Health Service use of its anticoagulant Xarelto (rivaroxaban) as an option for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation.

“This decision follows a rigorous assessment of the clinical profile and cost-effectiveness of rivaroxaban following the double-blind, randomized ROCKET-AF clinical study, which showed rivaroxaban to be non-inferior to warfarin, the current standard of care in protecting AF patients against blood clots,” commented Bayer in a press statement.

Rivaroxaban has a UK marketing authorization for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who have one or more risk factors such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, aged 75 years or older, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack.

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