In draft guidance published today NICE has recommended the anti-blood clotting drug edoxaban tosylate (Lixiana, Daiichi Sankyo) as an option for treating and preventing the recurrence of potentially fatal blood clots.

Deep vein thrombosis (or ‘DVT’) occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in the deep veins, most commonly in the leg or pelvis. Blood flow through the affected vein can be limited by the clot, and can cause swelling and pain.

If the blood clot dislodges and travels to the lungs, this can lead to a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (or ‘PE’) when the clot blocks the blood supply to the lungs. Even if blood clots are not fatal, they can still result in long-term illness, including venous ulceration and chronic pain, swelling and skin changes in the affected limb which can have a significant impact on quality of life.

Risk factors for DVT and PE include a history of DVT, recent surgery, immobility, active cancer or cancer treatment, age over 60 years, obesity, hormone replacement therapy or oestrogen containing contraceptive therapy and the presence of other conditions such as heart disease.

For more details, go to: http://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/nice-recommends-edoxaban-tosylate-lixiana-for-treating-and-preventing-potentially-fatal-blood-clots