Eliquis® Receives Approval from European Commission

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced that the European Commission approved Eliquis®, an oral anticoagulent, for the prevention of strokes and systemic embolism in patients who meet specific conditions — such as having nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

As quoted in the press release:

ELIQUIS is the only oral anticoagulant that has demonstrated superior risk reduction versus warfarin in the three important outcomes of stroke and systemic embolism, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality. ELIQUIS is an oral direct Factor Xa inhibitor, part of a novel therapeutic class. This is the first regulatory approval in any market for ELIQUIS for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Lars Wallentin, director and professor of cardiology at Sweden’s Uppsala Clinical Research Centre and University Hospital, commented:

Patients with atrial fibrillation have a five times greater risk of stroke and there remains a critical public health need for improved treatment options to reduce this risk. The approval of ELIQUIS represents an important new treatment option for health care professionals, who now have an oral anticoagulant with superior outcomes versus warfarin in the reduction of stroke, major bleeding and death in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Click here to read the full Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) press release.