U.K. health authority recommends Boehringer blood clot treatment

LONDON The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that the national health system adopt Boehringer Ingelheim’s blood clot drug Pradaxa, NICE said Wednesday.

The system presently uses Sanofi-Aventis’ injected drug Lovenox, but Pradaxa (dabigatran) is administered orally.

Johnson & Johnson and Bayer are developing a similar drug, Xarelto, though some analysts say Pradaxa could be a blockbuster. The drugs are designed to prevent thromboembolism after surgery.