J&J announces results of phase-3 trial of rivaroxaban

CHICAGO An investigational drug made by Johnson & Johnson is more effective in reducing the risk of stroke in patients with a trial fibrillation than a widely available generic, the drug maker said Monday.

J&J announced results of the phase-3 “Rocket-AF” trial of rivaroxaban, saying results showed that a once-daily dose of the drug worked better than warfarin, the most commonly used drug for preventing stroke in AF patients. Rivaroxaban also was comparable in terms of safety.

The trial involved 14,264 patients randomly selected to receive rivaroxaban or warfarin once a day. Rivaroxaban reduced the risk of stroke by 21% relative to warfarin. Patients taking rivaroxaban also had numerically fewer heart attacks, though the reduction was not significant in percentage terms, J&J said.