Table 4.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics properties of the novel anticoagulants.

	Dabigatran	Rivaroxaban	Apixaban
Mechanism of action	Direct thrombin inhibitor	Direct factor Xa inhibitor	Direct factor Xa inhibitor
Prodrug	Double prodrug	No	No
Dosing frequency	Twice daily	Once daily	Twice daily
Bioavailability %	6.5	50	80
Tmax	2 hours	2–4 hours	3 hours
Half-life	17 hours with multiple doses, 7–9 hours with single doses	9 hours in healthy subjects, 12 hours in elderly subjects	12 hours
Mode of excretion	80% cleared renally	One-third cleared renally, two-thirds metabolised by the liver	70% cleared in faeces, 25% cleared renally
Age effect	Affects pharmacokinetic parameters	No	No
Drug interactions	Interaction with aspirin at high doses	None reported	None reported