Ximelagatran, the oral anticoagulant of the future : an evidence based review

Abstract EN

This article presents the available data on Ximelagatran, a novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor and explores its thera¬peutic potential.

Recent large clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy and safety of this anticoagulant compared to the standard anticoagulation therapy with warfarin and heparins in several thrombotic disorders.

These trials pro¬vide strong evidence for the efficacy and safety of ximelagatran in the following clinical indications; the pre¬vention of venous thromboembolism after knee or hip re-placement, the treatment of deep venous thrombosis, and prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Further evaluation of this promising oral anticoagulant is warranted in other thrombotic cardiovascular disorders re¬quiring chronic oral anticoagulation therapy such as in patients with prosthetic heart valves, intracardiac thrombi, dilated cardiomyopathy, after myocardial infarction and post percutaneous coronary interventions.