Drug reference
dabigatran etexilate
Oral direct thrombin inhibitor · Anticoagulant
Oral direct thrombin inhibitorAnticoagulant
CDSCO approved
EXCRETION
—
not curated
INTERACTIONS
—
none in our sources
PREGNANCY
—
not curated
Mechanism
Dabigatran etexilate is a prodrug rapidly hydrolyzed to dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor that reversibly blocks the catalytic site of thrombin.
Indications
Prevention of venous thromboembolism (following hip/knee joint replacement surgery)Prevention of embolism and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation
Dosing
- Adult
- 110 mg once daily (75 mg for elderly > 75 years) for prevention of venous thromboembolism; 150 mg twice daily for prevention of embolism and stroke in atrial fibrillation.
Pharmacokinetics
Onset
Rapid (within 2 hours)
Duration
24 hours
Half-life
12–14 hours
Bioavailability
Low oral bioavailability, but consistent anticoagulant effect
Side effects
Common
Bleeding
Serious
- Hepatobiliary disorders (less common)
Drug interactions
12 additional unreviewed or low-confidence interactions hidden because their provenance or source detail is insufficient.
Related guidelines
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Textbook-sourced·Sources: KD Tripathi 7e·Updated: 2026-05-10