Antidote reverses anticoagulant effects of factor Xa inhibitors in minutes, studies show

Bleeding is a potential complication with factor Xa inhibitors, but two studies reported in the New England Journal of Medicine have shown that the anticoagulant activity of apixaban and rivaroxaban was reversed within minutes by andexanet, an agent designed to block the anticoagulant effects of these inhibitors.1

The direct factor Xa inhibitors apixaban, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban are indicated for prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvar atrial fibrillation, secondary prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and prevention of vein thrombosis after orthopaedic surgery.

The lack of a specific antidote to reverse the anticoagulant effects of these agents has been considered …