Antidotes edge closer to reversing effects of new blood thinners
The US approval late last year of the blood thinner Eliquis (apixaban) made it the third blood-thinner pill option to come online in the last three years, all of which have proven to be as or more effective as the old go-to warfarin, with lower rates of brain hemorrhaging and fewer blood tests required to get the dosing right. However, unlike warfarin, which has an antidote in the form of vitamin K, no compounds exist that directly counteract the anticoagulation effects of these next-generation blood thinners—something desperately needed for the 1–3% of patients who suffer major bleeding complications, experience trauma injuries or require urgent surgery while on these pills. Read more