Beyond Warfarin: the New Generation of Oral Anticoagulants and Their Implications for the Management of Dental Patients F
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Vol. 113 No. 4 April 2012 MEDICAL MANAGEMENT AND PHARMACOLOGY UPDATE Beyond warfarin: the new generation of oral anticoagulants and their implications for the management of dental patients F. John Firriolo, DDS, PhD, and Wendy S. Hupp, DMD Warfarin has been the primary anticoagulant drug used in the USA for more than 50 years. However, 2 novel types of oral anticoagulants have recently been approved for use in the USA. These are direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., dabigatran etexilate) and factor Xa inhibitors (e.g., rivaroxaban). Dental health care providers may soon encounter patients who are being prescribed these medications. This article describes the pharmacologic properties and medical uses of these new oral anticoagulants. Also discussed are implications for the management of dental patients being treated with these new oral anticoagulants, including potential interactions with drugs commonly used or prescribed in the course of dental treatment. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2012;113:431-441) Various diseases and medical conditions can require most commonly prescribed drugs on the market, with Ͼ2 treatment that includes the use of extended-duration million individuals in the USA and 1 million individuals (i.e., ϳ4 weeks or longer) anticoagulant drug therapy.1 in the UK estimated to be taking warfarin. In the USA, Among these are: Ͼ300,000 new patients are prescribed warfarin each Prophylaxis (prevention) and treatment of pulmo- year.4,5 From 1998 to 2004 the number of outpatient nary embolism (PE) and venous thrombosis, i.e., prescriptions dispensed for warfarin in the USA increased venous thromboembolism (VTE) and deep vein 1.45-fold from 21.1 million to 30.6 million.6 thrombosis (DVT), including thromboprophylaxis Warfarin is a coumarin-derivative orally adminis- for the prevention of postoperative VTE after ortho- tered anticoagulant that is classified as a vitamin K pedic surgical procedures, including hip fracture and antagonist (VKA). Other, less commonly used, VKA prosthetic total hip or knee joint replacement. anticoagulants include acenocoumarol, phenprocou- Prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic com- mon, and phenindione. For the past 60 years, coumarin- plications associated with atrial fibrillation and/or derivative VKAs have been the only generally available 2,7 prosthetic replacement of cardiac valves. option for an orally administered anticoagulant drug. Reduction of the risk of death, reinfarction, and thromboembolic events, such as stroke or systemic TARGETED ANTICOAGULATION AND NEW embolization after myocardial infarction. ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS Although parenterally administered anticoagulants The development of new orally administered anticoag- can be used for extended durations, the potential ad- ulant drugs over the past few years has focused on vantages and convenience of orally administered anti- eliminating some of the disadvantages associated with coagulant therapy in terms of improving patient adher- warfarin. Compared with warfarin, the next generation of ence to therapy are clearly evident.2 Also, orally orally administered anticoagulants would ideally have a administered anticoagulant therapy is generally more wide therapeutic index, less complex pharmacodynamics, cost-effective, even when compared to outpatient sub- few drug-drug and food interactions, and produce such a cutaneous anticoagulant drug administration, as is re- quired with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH).3 In the USA, the mainstay for anticoagulant therapy for Statement of Clinical Relevance more than 50 years is warfarin. Warfarin ranks among the This manuscript reviews the pharmacologic proper- ties and medical uses of two new oral anticoagu- Division of Oral Medicine, Department of General Dentistry and Oral lants (dabigatran and rivaroxaban). Also discussed Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, are implications for the management of dental pa- Kentucky. tients being treated with these oral anticoagulants, Received for publication Jun 28, 2011; returned for revision Sep 17, including potential interactions with drugs com- 2011; accepted for publication Oct 13, 2011. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. monly used or prescribed in the course of dental 2212-4403/$ - see front matter treatment. doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2011.10.005 431 MEDICAL MANAGEMENT AND PHARMACOLOGY UPDATE OOOO 432 Firriolo and Hupp April 2012 Table 1. Pharmacologic properties of oral anticoagulants Warfarin Dabigatran Rivaroxaban Target(s) Factors II, VII, IX, and X, Thrombin Factor Xa proteins C and S Oral bioavailability ϳ100% 3%-7% 80%-100% Typical dosing schedule for Daily Twice daily Daily thromboprophylaxis Time to peak plasma concentration 2-8 h (mean ϳ4 h) 2.0-4.0 h 2.5-4 h (Tmax) ϳ Effective half-life (T1/2) 20-60 h (mean 40 h) Adult: 12-17 h; elderly: 14-17 Young individual: 5-9 h; h; mild-to-moderate renal elderly: 11-13 h impairment: 15-18 h; severe renal impairment: 28 h Metabolism Hepatic primarily via CYP2C9; Primarily by esterase-catalyzed Hepatic via CYP3A4, CYP3A5, minor pathways include hydrolysis in the plasma or and CYP2J2 CYP2C8, CYP2C18, liver CYP2C19, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4 Elimination Up to 92% renal (urine) Urine: 80%-85% Urine: 66% (36% as unchanged drug, 30% as inactive metabolites); feces: 28% (mostly as inactive metabolites) Food interference with absorption May delay the rate, but not the Acidic environment required so Increases rate and extent of extent of absorption absorption may be reduced absorption by 25%-35% by foods or drugs that increase the pH of the stomach and small intestine (e.g., proton pump inhibitors) Need for routine monitoring of Yes (INR) No No coagulation predictable anticoagulant response at fixed doses that rou- reducing the risk of hemorrhage while preserving the tine coagulation monitoring is unnecessary.1,2 beneficial antithrombotic effects. However, at least Two novel types of oral anticoagulants have recently some of the initial clinical trials of these anticoagulants been approved for use in the USA, Canada, the Euro- involving thromboprophylaxis in postorthopedic sur- pean Union, and several other countries. These are gery patients suggest that there will continue to be a dabigatran etexilate (a direct thrombin inhibitor [DTI]) tradeoff (i.e., fewer thromboembolic events will be and rivaroxaban (a factor Xa inhibitor [FXaI]). balanced by excessive bleeding, and vice versa).12 In contrast to warfarin, both orally administered DTIs (e.g., dabigatran etexilate) and FXaIs (e.g., rivaroxaban) DIRECT THROMBIN INHIBITORS: approach anticoagulation by interfering with very specific, DABIGATRAN single, “targeted” steps in the coagulation cascade (similar DTIs are a class of targeted anticoagulants that bind di- to those of subcutaneously or intravenously administered rectly to thrombin and block its interaction with its sub- LMWH [e.g., enoxaparin]).8 They are relatively small strates.30 Bivalent DTIs (derived from hirudin, the natu- molecules with comparatively rapid onsets of action and rally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of medicinal short half-lives. Unlike warfarin, dabigatran and rivaroxa- leeches) include bivalirudin, desirudin, and lepirudin, al- ban are reported to have comparatively few drug-drug though the univalent DTIs include argatroban and dabiga- interactions and no significant food interactions9 and are tran.13 able to provide stable anticoagulation at a fixed dose The first orally administered DTI approved for use in without the need for routine laboratory monitoring of the USA is dabigatran etexilate. It received Food and coagulation (e.g., international normalized ratio [INR]) Drug Administration (FDA) approval in October 2010 and associated dosage adjustments.8,10,11 Table I summa- after good success with desirudin, a parenteral DTI.14 The rizes the pharmacologic properties of warfarin, dabiga- initial FDA approved indication of dabigatran etexilate is tran, and rivaroxaban. to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in It is also possible that one or more of these DTIs or patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, but it is also FXaIs has a wider therapeutic index than warfarin, thus being used for postsurgical thromboprophylaxis with OOOO MEDICAL MANAGEMENT AND PHARMACOLOGY UPDATE Volume 113, Number 4 Firriolo and Hupp 433 prosthetic knee and hip joint replacement patients in Can- However, owing to dabigatran’s short half-life, merely ada, the European Union, and several other countries.14,15 discontinuing the administration of the drug is thought Dabigatran, compared with warfarin, was shown to have to be sufficient to resolve minor bleeding in most cir- superior safety with equivalent efficacy for the prevention cumstances.21 Supportive strategies to control more of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.16 Dabigatran severe bleeding associated with dabigatran include me- has also been shown to be as effective as warfarin in chanical compression, surgical hemostasis, fluid re- prevention and treatment of recurrent venous thromboem- placement, and transfusion of blood products (packed bolism and pulmonary embolism.17 red cells or fresh frozen plasma). If these measures fail Dabigatran etexilate’s mechanism of action is to bind to control bleeding, then recombinant activated factor with the active site on the thrombin molecule (factor VII (rFVIIa) and/or hemodialysis can be considered.21 IIa) so that it cannot catalyze fibrinogen into fibrin. Dabigatran prolongs the activated partial thrombo- Unlike warfarin, dabigatran