Drug Tops Warfarin in Important Study

Chicago, ILJohnson & Johnson and Bayer AG's blood-thinning drug Xarelto was better at preventing strokes in patients with erratic heartbeats without increasing the risk of bleeding than warfarin therapy, according to a new study.

According to the study, which was discussed at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Chicago, patients taking Xarelto one time per day were 21 percent less likely to suffer embolism or a stroke that those taking warfarin, Bloomberg reports.

A second analysis of the data that used more strict measuring methods found that Xarelto was actually equal to warfarin, with the risk of bleeding being similar in both.

In the US last month, a rival drug called Pradaxa was approved, giving it entry into the market for replacements for warfarin, a 56-year-old medicine that was first used as a rat poison, according to the news source.

"If you look at the data, Pradaxa and Xarelto are just a lot better than warfarin," Leslie Iltgen, a Frankfurt-based analyst at Bankhaus Lampe KG, said in a recent telephone interview.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, warfarin "may cause severe bleeding that can be life-threatening." Other side effects of the drug include hair loss, fever and joint or muscle pain, the center says.