
What is the antidote of vitamin K?įresh frozen plasma (FFP) has been the mainstay for urgent anticoagulation reversal in patients taking vitamin K antagonists (eg, warfarin). While warfarin can be a lifesaver for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation and other conditions that may cause a fatal blood clot, the drug also has its drawbacks. Rare side effects include stroke, gangrene and death. The most common side effect - bleeding - can be life-threatening. Tranexamic acid administration should be considered.


How do you treat bleeding from warfarin overdose?.What is the treatment of warfarin toxicity?.They have their own Xa inhibitor coming along (bextrixaban), but if this protein makes it through, they'll have done the whole field a favor as well as themselves. Portola Therapeutics has developed a Factor Xa mimic that binds the inhibitors, and thus titrates their effects. We don't often have to consider this issue, but it's a big one in this case. Anticoagulants need a corresponding way to cancel out their effects, in case of overdose or other trouble.

Blood clotting therapies have a narrow window to work in - anything effective enough to be beneficial will be effective enough to be trouble under other circumstances. The Factor Xa inhibitors are a recent entry into this area, with Bayer's Xarelto ( rivaroxaban) as the key example so far.īut there's a problem with any Xa inhibitor: there's no antidote for them. The anticoagulant field is a huge one, with Plavix, warfarin, and plenty of others jostling for a share of a huge market (both for patients to take themselves, and for hospital use). Here's a drug-discovery problem that you don't often have to think about.
