Table 2: Comparison of the Pharmacological Properties of Direct Oral Anticoagulants.
| Characteristics | Dabigatran | Rivaroxaban | Apixaban | Edoxaban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 628 Da | 436 Da | 460 Da | 536 Da |
| Target | FIIa | FXa | FXa | FXa |
| Pro-drug | Dabigatran etexilate | No | No | No |
| Approximate bioavailability | 6% | 100% | 66% | 50% |
| Metabolism | Hepatic | Hepatic | Hepatic | Hepatic |
| Approximate plasma protein binding | 35% | 90% | 87% | 50% |
| Approximate plasma half-life | 12–17 h | 5–13 h | 8–15 h | 9–11 h |
| Renal excretion | 90% | 30% | 25% | 35% |
| Approximate time to peak effect | 2 h | 2–4 h | 1–3 h | 1–2 h |
| Dosing regime | Twice daily | Once daily | Twice daily | Once daily |
| Dose monitoring | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed |
| Antidote | Idarucizumab | Andexanet alfa | Andexanet alfa | None |
| Time to haemostasis after stopping the drug | 12 h | 5–9 h | 8–15 h | 4–10 h |
| Reversal of action | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| VTE prophylaxis dose | 150 or 220 mg once daily | 10 mg once daily | 2.5 mg twice daily | 30 mg once daily |
| Interactions | P-gp inhibitors | CYP3A4/P-gp inhibitors | CYP3A4/P-gp inhibitors | CYP3A4/P-gp inhibitors |