A Clearinghouse for Information about Blood Clots (DVT/)PE) and Clotting Disorders (thrombophilia) provided as a public service by the University of North Carolina Blood Research Center

Category: Uncategorized

  • Antidote for New Oral Xa-Inhibitors (Eliquis, Xarelto): Phase 2 Study

    Stephan Moll, MD writes…. The pharmaceutical company Portola reported today (May 8th, 2013) without many details on the  findings of their phase 2 human volunteer study of their anti-Xa anticoagulant antidote PRT4445 — ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01758432 (study description here). In this study, healthy volunteers who had taken Eliquis (Apixaban) received the antidote.  The study showed a “rapid and sustained and dose-related reversal of the…

  • Natural supplements, herbs, vitamins and food: do any prevent venous thromboembolism?

    Patients not infrequently inquire about the benefit of “natural blood thinners”. Clot Connect has written a document for patients – available here  – discussing the various herbs and dietary supplements that are often called “natural blood thinners”. The blog post discusses many items including garlic, gingko, chocolate, fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin E, etc. The…

  • FDA Approval of New Drug to Treat Major Bleeding on Warfarin – Kcentra

    Stephan Moll, MD writes…  A new drug for the urgent reversal of warfarin was approved by the FDA today, April 29th, 2013 (announcement by the FDA is here), called Kcentra.  The drug is derived from pooled plasma from healthy blood donors and contains the coagulation factors that are low in warfarin-treated patients, i.e. factors II, VII,…

  • Thrombophilia Testing – Reliable on Anticoagulants?

    Stephan Moll, MD writes…  The decision how long to treat a patient with venous thromboembolism (VTE) with anticoagulants can often be made based on the patient’s history alone, i.e. the circumstances of the VTE event (provoked versus unprovoked).  Often, no thrombophilia testing is needed.  However, if one were to do thrombophilia testing, what is the…

  • Warfarin Failure

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… Occasionally, recurrent DVT or PE occur in spite of warfarin therapy, particularly in patients with (a) fluctuating and sub-therapeutic INRs, (b) lupus anticoagulant/ antiphospholipid antibody (APLA) syndrome or (c) cancer.

  • Top 10 Publications on Thrombosis and Anticoagulation from 2012

    Stephan Moll writes… 2012 has been a year with significant progress in the field of venous thromboembolism and anticoagulation.  The three most noteworthy, clinically relevant developments were probably (a) the publication of the new ACCP (American College of Chest Physician) guidelines on antithrombotic therapy in February 2012; (b)  The FDA-approval of rivaroxaban (Xarelto) in November 2012 for the acute…

  • Apixaban (Eliquis) – Hospital Guideline

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… Apixaban (Eliquis®) is FDA-approved for the prevention of  stroke and systemic arterial thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (Clot Connect discussion of the approval on  Dec 28th, 2012 is here).  Here is the management guideline for apixaban

  • Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) – Hospital Guideline

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… Xarelto® is FDA approved for treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), prevention of VTE after hip and knee replacement  surgery, and for atrial fibrillation.   A number of practical management questions are encountered by physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professional taking care of patients on Xarelto®, such as (a) dosing in…