Clinical pharmacology of the apixaban and frequently asked questions about its clinical use

Apixaban is a new, strong, reversible, competitive direct inhibitor of factor Xa. By inhibiting factor Xa, it prevents the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. Large, randomized clinical trials showed that apixaban is superior to varfarin in the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation and caused less bleeding than varfarin. This article summarized clinical pharmacology of the apixaban and responded to frequently asked questions about it.