Spotlight on fondaparinux sodium in acute coronary syndromes

Fondaparinux sodium (Arixtra) is a synthetic, sulfated pentasaccharide, selective factor Xa inhibitor that is indicated in Europe for preventing thrombus formation in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS; the focus of this review), including those with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI), or unstable angina. The large (n = 20,078), well designed OASIS-5 trial showed that subcutaneous fondaparinux 2.5 mg/day for < or =8 days was noninferior to subcutaneous enoxaparin 1 mg/kg twice daily (once daily in those with renal dysfunction) in reducing death or ischemic events at 9 days and the efficacy was maintained for up to 6 months (study end) in patients with unstable angina or NSTEMI. During this time, major bleeding occurred in fewer fondaparinux than enoxaparin recipients, resulting in a benefit : risk balance favoring fondaparinux. The incidence of death or reinfarction at 30 days was significantly lower in recipients of subcutaneous fondaparinux 2.5 mg/day than in those who received usual care (including unfractionated heparin treatment as indicated) in patients with STEMI in the large (n > 12,000) OASIS-6 trial. There were no differences in the incidence of major bleeding between these groups, resulting in a benefit : risk balance favoring fondaparinux. The specificity and selectivity of fondaparinux, combined with its long half-life and 100% bioavailability, allows once-daily anticoagulation without the need for monitoring activated clotting time. Subcutaneous fondaparinux was noninferior to enoxaparin treatment in patients with unstable angina or NSTEMI, and was more effective than usual care in those with STEMI. Fondaparinux has a favorable tolerability profile, particularly with regard to the risk of major bleeding, and limited data suggest that it is more cost effective than enoxaparin in the short term. Thus, overall, clinical evidence suggests that fondaparinux has a valuable place in the treatment of patients with ACS.