Truth in Ads: Eliquis

ELIQUIS (apixaban) is a blood thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood-clots in people who have atrial fibrillation (Afib). Afib is an irregular heartbeat, but it can cause blood clots to form. This can result in a stroke according to Eliquis.com (2014). ELIQUIS can play an important role for patients with Afib not caused by a heart valve problem. ELIQUIS can’t regulate irregular heart or treat people who are symptomatic; it can reduce the risk of a stroke by helping to prevent a formation of a clot. Advertisements for ELIQUIS (apixaban) were on February 24, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. on a local television station. The advertisement was during a commercial break for Good Morning America. This advertisement was an older woman explaining the benefit to taking ELIQUIS. In the advertisement, she mentioned taking it twice a day. She mentioned the benefits of taking ELIQUIS; for instance she compared it to COUMADIN. She mentioned no lab draws, no food restriction and taking a standard dosing twice a day. She mentioned watching for bleeding. ELIQUIS advertisements seen on You-tube on February 26, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. This advertisement showed a young man running on a college campus.

This advertisement was similar to the advertisement on the internet. The third advertisement for ELIQUIS was on the internet. I had logged into my fitness pal website. My fitness pal is a similar to weight watcher, and it help a person track their food intake. This advertisement directed a person to ELIQUIS website. The advertisement mention on television and You-tube did have some similarity to the ELIQUIS website. Bleeding is one of the major side effects of ELIQUIS and can be life threatening according to Eliquis.com (2014). Also, a reaction to ELIQUIS can cause hives, rash, itching, and possibly trouble breathing. ELIQUIS should not be administered prior to surgery, a medical or dental procedure because it can cause an increase in bleeding. ELIQUIS should be taken by patients with artificial heart valve (WebMD, 2014). Patients should notify their doctor, when taking medications that can cause a higher risk of bleeding. These prescription medications consist of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (called NSAIDs), warfarin (COUMADIN®), heparin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and other medicines to help prevent or treat blood clots.

Tell the doctor about all medicines taking, including any over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. According to Physician Drug Reference (PDR), ELIQIUS prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non valvular atrial fibrillation. According to PDR, ELIQUIS major side effect is bleeding. Patients experiencing signs and symptoms of bleeding should notify his or her doctor. The unexpected bleeding, or bleeding that lasts a long time, such as unusual bleeding from the gum, menstrual bleeding or vaginal bleeding that is heavier than normal, discolored urine, black stools (looks like tar), cough up blood, vomit blood, unexpected pain, swelling, or joint pain according to PDR, 2014. According to PDR (2014), related use of drugs affecting hemostasis increases the risk of bleeding. These includes aspirin or aspirin-containing products, long-term (chronic) use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), warfarin sodium (COUMADIN®, JANTOVEN®), any medicine that contains heparin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and other medicines to help prevent or treat blood clots.

PDR explained the reason ELIQUIS should not be taken in patients with prosthetic heart valves. The safety and efficacy of ELIQUIS hasn’t been studied in these patients. The use of ELIQUIS should not be recommended in patients with artificial heart valve. PDR, commercials, You-tube, and ELIQUIS website had similarities with explaining the side effects, notifying doctors of other prescribe medications, procedure and use for taking ELIQUIS. PDR and ELIQUIS provided more details with the interactions and the reason a patient should not take the medication. PDR drug monograph is more descriptive and inclusive. It includes information about overdosing, pregnancy category, detailed dosing, pharmacokinetics, clinical studies, interventions that show black box warning, and patient teaching. Patients prescribed ELIQUIS should discuss this drug in detail with their physician. ELIQUIS (apixaban) appears to be a preventable medication for a patient with Atrial Fibrillation as seen on television and the internet. This medication has a common side effect seen in any patient receiving anticoagulation medication. The advertisement for ELIQUIS (apixaban) appears to be truthful based on advertisement (television and internet) and Physician Desk.

Reference:
ELIQUIS (2014). ELIQUIS. Retrieved from: http://www.eliquis.com/starting.aspx Drugs and Medication-Eliquis Oral (2014). WebMD. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-163073-Eliquis+Oral.aspx?drugid=163073&drugname=Eliquis+Oral Eliquis (apixaban). PDR.net Retrieved from: http://www.pdr.net/full-prescribing-

information/eliquis?druglabelid=3039#section-3