Lassen MR, Dahl OE, Mismetti P et al. J Thromb Haemost 2009;7:566–72.
In this article, the authors present data from a randomized, double-blind, Phase IIb, dose-finding study in which a new hemisynthetic ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin was tested in comparison with enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.
Several antithrombotic molecules are in different phases of development. Much attention is focused on the new oral antithrombotic drugs, but research is also being carried out on new parenteral molecules. Among these molecules, AVE5026 is a hemisynthetic heparin with an average molecular weight of 2000–3000 Da. It has high activity against Factor Xs and residual activity against Factor IIa with a ratio of >30, in comparison with a ratio of four for low-molecular-weight heparin. It is administered once-daily. In the present study, five doses of AVE5026 (5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 60 mg) were tested against enoxaparin 40 mg in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.