Fondaparinux Sodium: A Review of its Use in the Treatment of Acute Venous Thromboembolism

Authors: Robinson, Dean M.; Wellington, Keri

Source: American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, Volume 5, Number 5, 2005 , pp. 335-346(12)

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Abstract:

Fondaparinux sodium (fondaparinux) is a synthetic sulfated pentasaccharide anticoagulant developed from the antithrombin binding moiety of heparin. Through the activation of antithrombin it inhibits Factor Xa, the activation of thrombin, and the subsequent coagulation cascade. Fondaparinux is approved in Europe and the US for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), including both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), when used in conjunction with warfarin.

In phase III clinical trials, subcutaneous fondaparinux was noninferior to subcutaneous enoxaparin or intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH) in the prevention of recurrent symptomatic VTE in patients with acute DVT and PE, respectively, and equally well tolerated. It thus provides a valuable alternative to UFH and low-molecular weight heparins in the treatment of acute VTE, particularly in the outpatient setting.

Keywords: Adis Drug Evaluations; Anticoagulants; Antithrombotics; Deep vein thrombosis; Factor Xa inhibitors; Fondaparinux sodium; Pulmonary embolism; Thromboembolism

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Adis International Inc., Yardley, Pennsylvania, USA

Publication date: 2005-01-01