Anticoagulation: Where have we come from and where are we going? The evidence for and against novel anticoagulants

Abstract

Warfarin, one of the vitamin K antagonists, has been used since 1940, when it was first approved for the treatment of venous thromboembolism. It is currently the most commonly used anticoagulant, although alternative drugs are available, such as aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyridamol, which have been studied in a number of scenarios. The newest agents available to clinicians are the broad group of novel anticoagulants, such as direct thrombin and direct factor Xa inhibitors, including molecules such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban.