YM-150, a Factor Xa inhibitor for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and coronary artery disease.

The oral Factor Xa inhibitor YM-150 is being developed by Astellas Pharma Inc for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing surgery and for coronary artery disease. In preclinical thrombosis models, as well as in phase II clinical trials in patients undergoing primary hip replacement surgery, YM-150 was safe and exhibited antithrombotic effects. Patients treated with YM-150 demonstrated a dose-related response in phase II trials, and preclinical studies suggested that efficacy was not diminished in the presence of food. At the time of publication, several phase II, II/III and III trials were ongoing or recruiting patients. In phase II trials the efficacy of YM-150 in the prevention of VTE was comparable with that observed after treatment with the active control, enoxaparin sodium. The phase III trials would assess the efficacy of YM-150 in the prevention of VTE in a larger number of patients.