US FDA Rejects Wider Use For Johnson & Johnson's And Bayer AG's Xarelto-Reuters

Reuters reported that Johnson & Johnson said on June 21, 2012, that U.S. regulators have declined to approve a new use for its Xarelto blood clot preventer to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Patients with the condition, referred to as ACS, have had heart attacks or chest pains that indicate the risk of a heart attack. Their condition is usually caused by blocked coronary arteries and an estimated 1 million people a year in the United States are hospitalized after having an ACS episode. A panel of outside medical experts to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month recommended against approval of Xarelto for the new indication. The panel said the pill looked promising, but expressed concern about missing clinical-trial data and bleeding risks. Xarelto was approved in the United States late last year to prevent strokes among patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation that is most common among the elderly. It is also approved to reduce risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of people who have had knee or hip replacement surgery. J&J, which developed the drug in partnership with German drugmaker Bayer AG, said it is evaluating the FDA's response, known as a complete response letter.