Apixaban, an oral, direct inhibitor of activated Factor Xa

This short drug-profile review summarizes apixaban, an oral direct inhibitor of activated Factor Xa, noting that at the time of writing it was in phase III trials for cerebrovascular ischemia, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism and in phase II for coronary artery disease. Its relevance to ASH is mainly as background on the modern anticoagulant landscape: apixaban represents the Factor Xa branch of targeted oral anticoagulants that developed alongside the thrombin-directed agents (including the hirudin-derived drugs) tied to the medicinal-leech secretome, helping situate where leech-inspired anticoagulants fit among contemporary options. The caveat is twofold: this is a brief review describing a development pipeline rather than reporting trial results, and as a 2008 snapshot its statements about trial phases are dated, so it should be treated as historical context, not current evidence, and it does not concern leech therapy.