Abstract
High efficacy (in the prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic events) and safety (low risk of bleeding) are essential in the indication of anticoagulant therapy. Both of these aspects depend on the optimal concentration within the therapeutic range, i.e. on a stable and balanced effect during the dose interval.
These conditions are very well suited to the pentasaccharide fondaparinux with a long half-life of plasma elimination (17-21 hours) and with little variability of action. The efficacy and safety of fondaparinux has been successfully investigated in the indication of thromboembolic disease prophylaxis (in surgical and internal indications) as well as in the treatment of thromboembolic disease (pulmonary embolism and phlebothrombosis), in the treatment of superficial thrombosis of the stem veins of the lower extremities and in the treatment of acute coronary events.
In these indications, fondaparinux has proven itself well, it was either comparatively effective at higher safety (lower incidence of major bleeding), equally safe at higher efficiency (lower incidence of thrombotic complications) or both - more effective and safer (higher overall clinical benefit).