Press Release
Stroke Prevention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation:
Bayer’s Rivaroxaban Submitted for Approval in Japan
May 14th, 2011 - Berlin, Germany – Bayer’s rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) has been submitted for marketing approval in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW).
The submission to the MHLW is based on the results of the global ROCKET AF study and the Phase III J-ROCKET AF study, which was run entirely in Japan. Both studies investigated rivaroxaban versus dose-adjusted warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. The J-ROCKET AF trial was conducted with a 15 mg dose of rivaroxaban once daily, in recognition of the Japanese guideline environment. Results of the J-ROCKET AF study are planned to be presented at an upcoming major scientific meeting.
As communicated in January 2011, rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily has previously been submitted for marketing authorization in stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation in the EU and the US. These submissions were supported by data from the pivotal, global Phase III ROCKET AF trial that was presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Congress in November 2010.
About Rivaroxaban
Rivaroxaban is an oral anticoagulant that was invented in Bayer HealthCare’s Wuppertal laboratories in Germany, and is being jointly developed by Bayer HealthCare and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. It has a rapid onset of action with a predictable dose response and high bioavailability, no requirement for coagulation monitoring, as well as a limited potential for food and drug interactions.
Rivaroxaban is marketed under the brand name Xarelto for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adult patients following elective hip or knee replacement surgery. Xarelto is approved in more than 100 countries worldwide and has been successfully launched in more than 80 countries by Bayer HealthCare.
The extensive clinical trial program supporting rivaroxaban makes it the most studied oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor in the world today. In total, more than 65,000 patients are expected to participate in the rivaroxaban clinical development program evaluating the product in the prevention and treatment of a broad range of venous and arterial thromboembolic diseases, including VTE treatment and secondary prevention of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
To learn more about thrombosis, please visit www.thrombosisadviser.com.
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 16.913 billion (2010), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55,700 employees (Dec 31, 2010) and is represented in more than 100 countries. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.
Contact:
Alexander Siedler, Tel. +49 30 468 12727
E-Mail: alexander.siedler@bayer.com
Stephanie Prate, Tel. +49 30 468 196053
E-Mail: stephanie.prate@bayer.com
Find more information at www.bayerpharma.com.
as (2011-0197E)
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
- Atrial fibrillation
- A heart rhythm disorder where chambers in the upper heart (atria) beat more rapidly than those in the lower section of the heart. Blood is not pumped out of the upper chambers completely during beating, and may pool and form a clot. A stroke results if a section of clot dislodges from the upper chambers and becomes lodged in the brain.
- Venous thromboembolism
- A disease process beginning with a blood clot occurring within the venous system, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
- Acute coronary syndrome
- An umbrella term used to cover any group of clinical symptoms compatible with an acute heart attack. The subtypes of acute coronary syndrome include unstable angina (in which the heart muscle is not damaged), and two forms of heart attack in which the heart muscle is damaged. These latter types are named according to the appearance of the electrocardiogram as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
- Factor Xa
- Pivotal component of blood clotting cascade. Stimulates the production of thrombin, the enzyme in the coagulation cascade that promotes the formation of blood clots.
- Thrombosis
- Formation of a clot inside a blood vessel.
