The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the anti-clotting drug Savaysa (edoxaban tablets) to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots (systemic embolism) in patients with atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve problem.

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common types of abnormal heart rhythm. It occurs when the heart’s two upper chambers (atria) do not contract properly, allowing blood clots to form, which can break off and travel to the brain or other parts of the body. Patients with atrial fibrillation experience an abnormal, irregular and rapid heartbeat.

Savaysa also has been approved to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients who have already been treated with an anti-clotting drug administered by injection or infusion (parenterally), for five to ten days.

DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or thigh. A potentially deadly condition called PE results when a blood clot in a deep vein breaks off and travels to an artery in the lungs and blocks blood flow.

For more details, go to: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm429523.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery