Clinical efficacy and safety of fondaparinux: an emphasis on results in the elderly

Fondaparinux is a synthetic selective factor Xa inhibitor. Owing to its favorable pharmacological profile, fondaparinux is subcutaneously administered once daily without laboratory monitoring of its anticoagulant activity (and also of platelet count in Europe) in all its indications. Its efficacy and safety have been investigated in numerous areas, including the prevention of venous thromboembolism in surgical and medically-ill patients, treatment of deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and treatment of patients with non-ST- or ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes. This review presents the results obtained in these different clinical settings, with particular attention to the results obtained in the elderly, a population largely involved in the studies.