Anthos Changing Course With Factor XIa Inhibitor, Targeting Atrial Fibrillation Patients First

Privately held Anthos Therapeutics Inc.’s ambition to take on major players in the anticoagulant space with a dual Factor XI/XIa inhibitor got a boost on 18 September with the announcement that the Phase II AZALEA-TIMI-71 trial in atrial fibrillation patients at risk for thrombosis was stopped early due to “an overwhelming reduction in bleeding” versus the established direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) Xarelto (rivaroxaban).

In an interview, Anthos CEO John Glasspool said the Cambridge, MA-based firm is now thinking of seeking a commercial partner for its drug, abelacimab, as it has altered its go-to-market strategy to focus on a-fib first, rather than cancer-associated thrombosis