Co-administration of benfluorex with oral anticoagulant therapy

A study was carried out in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy for various cardiac conditions to evaluate the possible potentiation of their oral anticoagulant medication by benfluorex (450 mg per day) given concomitantly for 9 weeks. Combined treatment was preceded and followed by periods, each of 9 weeks, when the patients received their normal oral coagulant alone. Prothrombin times and weekly tablet consumption of anticoagulant were measured at 3-weekly intervals. Statistical analysis of the results from 22 patients showed that there was no significant difference between prothrombin times and anticoagulant dosage in the period when patients were receiving benfluorex and the values recorded during the baseline and follow-up periods. The results suggest that there was no interaction between benfluorex and the anticoagulant drugs.