Rivaroxaban, is an oral anticoagulant invented and manufactured by Bayer; in a number of countries it is marketed as
Xarelto. If approved by the United States FDA, it will be marketed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical. It is the first available orally active direct inhibitor of coagulation
Factor Xa. Rivaroxaban is well absorbed from the gut and maximum inhibition of factor Xa occurs three hours after a dose. The effects lasts 8–12 hours, but factor Xa activity does not return to normal within 24 hours so once-daily dosing is possible.
Rivaroxaban is undergoing review by the FDA, On March 19, 2009, an advisory panel recommended FDA approval of rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily for use in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery. The advisory panel concluded that the record trials demonstrate that rivaroxaban is non-inferior and possibly superior to subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg once daily. However, they also found an increased risk of bleeding with rivaroxaban and did not address the question of long-term (i.e. > 35 days) use. The advisory panel noted that 1 participant out of 6183 randomized to rivaroxaban died of liver toxicity.....
Source :http://abstracts.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/11/436?maxtoshow=&HITS=50&hits=50&RESULTFORMAT=&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&displaysectionid=Oral+Session&fdate=1/1/2008&tdate=12/31/2008&resourcetype=HWCIT