Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) and partner Pfizer Inc. (PFE) announced encouraging results on their blood thinner Eliquis from the subanalysis of a phase III study (ARISTOTLE).
The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Eliquis versus warfarin for bringing down the risk of stroke or systemic embolism in patients suffering from nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Atrial fibrillation refers to a cardiac rhythm disorder characterized by an erratic heartbeat. Bristol-Myers said that results from the subanalysis were found to be consistent across age groups for reducing the risk of stroke and systemic embolism and bringing down the risk of death with lesser bleeding events. Results, published in the European heart journal, revealed a higher absolute benefit of Eliquis treatment in NVAF patients aged 75 years and above.
In particular, data revealed that treatment with Eliquis reduced the risk of stroke, caused fewer major bleeding events and brought down mortality compared to those treated with warfarin. The superiority demonstrated by Eliquis compared to warfarin in NVAF patients irrespective of their age is a major positive for the companies. We note Eliquis is already approved for the NVAF indications in major markets like the U.S., the EU and Japan.
The companies are looking to expand Eliquis’ label. They are looking to get Eliquis approved for treating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and for the reduction in the risk of recurrent DVT and PE. (U.S. target date: Aug 25, 2014). Successful label expansion would boost the sales potential of the drug which recorded modest sales of $71 million in the final quarter of 2013.
Bristol-Myers, like Pfizer, carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks include Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) and Actelion Ltd. (ALIOF). While Alexion holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Actelion carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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