FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s Bayer has won fast-track status from U.S. drugs regulators for a new blood thinner designed to prevent certain types of strokes, as it seeks to follow up on the success of its anticoagulant Xarelto.
In a statement on Thursday, Bayer said the Food and Drug Administration granted fast track designation for the review of drug candidate asundexian when tested to prevent a repeat in patients that suffered a non-cardioembolic stroke from clogged vessels.
Bayer’s best-selling stroke prevention pill Xarelto, in which partner Johnson & Johnson holds some rights, will lose patent protection around 2026.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Maria Sheahan)
