Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is now approved in Australia for patients with severe renal impairment down to a creatinine clearance of 15 mL/min.
The change brings the DOACs use in Australia into line with other countries including in Europe, the US and Canada.
Associate Professor Martin Gallagher, a nephrologist and program director of Acute Kidney Injury and Trials at the George Institute, told the limbic it was an important change.
“One of the biggest problems is that these drugs haven’t been really well tested in clinical trials with EGFR below 30. And there is a sizeable number of patients that we deal with, for example with AF, who have EGFR between 15 and 30.”
“So it has meaningful clinical implications because it widens our options for treatment.”
A/Professor Gallagher said all the DOACs were slightly different in their hepatic and renal metabolism.