FDA approves J&J anti-clotting drug

RARITAN, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug made by Johnson & Johnson for treating internal blood clots, the company said.

J&J subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals announced the approval of Xarelto (rivaroxaban) for treating deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and to reduce the risk of recurrence of the clotting conditions after initial treatment.

The company said Xarelto was the first oral anticoagulant approved to treat DVT and PE without the need for injections or routine blood-monitoring.

"Xarelto provides a single-drug treatment option from the moment of diagnosis through the completion of therapy, and in the initial treatment phase, it can cut a patient's risk of major bleeding by nearly half," New York University School of Medicine professor Jack Ansell said. "Venous blood clots are associated with a high risk of serious complications, so the approval of Xarelto will immediately impact how we treat these patients and may set a new standard of care."

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