[Updated May 21, 2024.] 2023 may not go down as the brightest year for the pharma sector, but the entry of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide) into the ranks of top-selling drugs like Keytruda, Dupixent, and Eliquis signals a new era in the treatment of metabolic disease. Novo Nordisk’s sales jumped by more than one-third in…
New study sheds light on Eliquis and Xarelto switching
For patients with an elevated stroke risk, switching anticoagulant medications could be a health gamble. Those who change from Eliquis (apixaban) to Xarelto (rivaroxaban) could face almost double the risk of stroke or severe bleeding. Conversely, sticking with Eliquis or transitioning from rivaroxaban to Eliquis appears to be a safer option. Those are key takeaways…
50 of 2021’s best-selling pharmaceuticals
Drug sales in 2021 hit record heights, with a handful of pharmaceutical companies handsomely rewarded for creating COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. This roundup of best-selling pharmaceuticals in 2021 highlighted a banner year for the industry. Pfizer alone raked in $36.9 billion in sales from the Comirnaty vaccine it developed jointly with BioNTech. Demand for the…
Blood thinner Xarelto now has 11 indications; here’s a look at the latest two
Last December,’s (NYSE:JNJ) blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto (rivaroxaban) won FDA approval for two new indications for pediatric indications. The drug now has 11 indications in the U.S., more than any other direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). In 2020, the drug generated nearly $6.5 billion in revenue globally. To learn more about the new indications, we spoke…
Xarelto wins two additional pediatric indications
Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) has received FDA approval for two new indications for the blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto (rivaroxaban). The first new indication relates to treating venous thromboembolism (VTE, or blood clots) and reducing the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric individuals from birth to less than 18 years after at least five days of parenteral anticoagulant…
Phase 3 study highlights Xarelto’s potential in pediatric Fontan procedure patients
Drugs that work well in adults don’t always translate well for treating pediatric patients. The problem has inspired clinicians such as the pediatric cardiologist Dr. Brian McCrindle at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to work with the pharma industry on trials focused on pediatric patient populations and introduce newer agents to clinical practice.…
Xarelto similar to aspirin in pediatric Fontan procedure study
Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) has announced that its blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto (rivaroxaban) had a similar safety profile to aspirin in pediatric patients a Phase 3 study. The trial focused on pediatric patients who underwent the Fontan procedure, a type of open-heart surgery intended to correct single ventricle anomalies in the heart. Physicians have traditionally relied on aspirin…