Apixaban Cleared for Afib

After a lengthy delay, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared apixaban (Eliquis®, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer) for prevention of stroke in non-valvular atrial fibrillation on 12.28.12. Apixaban is an oral direct anti-Xa anticoagulant and joins rivaroxaban and dabigatran (a direct thrombin inhibitor) as the third new oral anticoagulant cleared since 2009. Details appear in TheHeart.org.