The approval follows a positive opinion adopted by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency in December 2008.
Daiichi Sankyo Company and Eli Lilly and Company co-developed Efient (prasugrel), an oral antiplatelet agent discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and its Japanese research partner Ube Industries as a treatment initially for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Efient (Prasugrel) works by reducing the tendency of platelets, the blood particles responsible for clotting, from sticking or clumping together. By blocking a specific receptor (P2Y12 adenosine diphosphate) on the platelet surface, Efient (Prasugrel) prevents platelets from clumping, which can result in clogged arteries and may lead to heart attack.
Takashi Shoda, president and CEO of Daiichi Sankyo, said: This European approval is good news for doctors and patients since more than 700,000 people die from heart attacks in the EU each year. We believe Efient will become an important new treatment for patients with ACS undergoing PCI, a severe disease with potentially life-threatening consequences.