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New and Emerging Anticoagulant Therapies for Venous Thromboembolism

  • Vascular Disease
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Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Anticoagulation therapy remains the cornerstone for prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism. Currently available parenteral anticoagulants, such as heparin, low molecular weight heparin, and fondaparinux, are used widely for short-term therapy, but the need for parenteral administration limits their utility for long-term use. Vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, are the only oral anticoagulants available for long-term use. Although effective, these drugs produce a variable anticoagulant response and require routine coagulation monitoring and frequent dose adjustments. New anticoagulants that can be given in fixed doses without monitoring have been developed to overcome the limitations of existing agents. These drugs are in advanced stages of development and have the potential to streamline the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Linkins is the recipient of a New Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC). Dr. Weitz holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Thrombosis and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario/J. Fraser Mustard Chair in Cardiovascular Research.

Disclosure

Dr. Weitz is a consultant to and has received honoraria from Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Ortho-McNeil. No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute, Hamilton General Hospital, 237 Barton Street, Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 2X2, Canada

    Lori-Ann Linkins MD, MSc(Epi), FRCPC & Jeffrey I. Weitz MD, FRCPC

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  1. Lori-Ann Linkins MD, MSc(Epi), FRCPC
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  2. Jeffrey I. Weitz MD, FRCPC
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Correspondence to Jeffrey I. Weitz MD, FRCPC.

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Linkins, LA., Weitz, J.I. New and Emerging Anticoagulant Therapies for Venous Thromboembolism. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 12, 142–155 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-010-0067-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-010-0067-8

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