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PHARMAC Funding Xarelto

A treatment for patients undergoing major joint replacement surgery will be made more readily available after Pharmac announced an agreement with Bayer Healthcare. The blood-thinning drug rivaroxaban, called Xarelto, will now be funded for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots, following elective total hip or knee replacement surgery in adult patients. During and after hip or knee replacement procedures, there is a significant increase in the risk of VTE because of the surgery itself and a subsequent decrease in mobility.

Nearly 7000 knee replacement and nearly 6000 hip replacement operations are performed in New Zealand each year and over five years, Pharmac estimates about 40,000 people will use the medicine. Pharmac medical director Dr Peter Moodie said Xarelto had advantages as it did not need to be given by injection, did not have the need for close-monitoring and blood testing as required for other drugs and was more effective than low dose aspirin.