ANNEXA-R Study Shows Promise for Rivaroxaban Reversal Agent

The results of the ANNEXA-R trial that sought to determine whether andexanet alfa could reverse the effects of rivaroxaban are promising, says Yekaterina Opsha, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, a clinical specialist of cardiovascular medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined 40 healthy patients divided in a 2:1 ratio between the active drug and placebo. The researchers found andexanet alfa served as a complete reversal agent for rivaroxaban, and the results were statistically significant.

“With this drug potentially coming out on the market, physicians might be a little more comfortable prescribing some of the novel oral anticoagulants,” Dr. Opsha says.