Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Cardiologists remain cautious about new oral anticoagulants:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/14/us-drugs-bloodthinners-idUSBRE85D06G20120614

…warfarin is holding its own, with 33 million [!] U.S. prescriptions filled for atrial fibrillation and other uses last year, according to IMS Health, a healthcare information and services company. Some 2.2 million prescriptions were filled for Pradaxa.

About 130,000 U.S. prescriptions were written for Xarelto in the first three months of 2012. Pradaxa and Xarelto each cost about $3,000 a year, versus just $200 for generic warfarin.

Prominent U.S. heart doctors stress that neither new drug has a known antidote for a bleeding emergency, as warfarin does [but Portola is trying to change that—#msg-76672265]. They also say that patients using them should undergo testing ahead of time to ensure good kidney function…