The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Portola Pharmaceuticals' oral blood thinner, betrixaban, reports Reuters.
Betrixaban represents the first oral and long-lasting treatment to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms in acutely ill nonsurgical patients. The once-daily pill may be used in both hospital and home settings.
In the hospital setting, the drug will compete with the widely-used blood thinner, heparin, and Sanofi's Lovenox. Analysts project Betrixaban will generate $313 million in sales by 2020, according to Thomson Reuters data.
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