"A new medication reverses the bloodthinning effects of the anticoagulant dabigatran in patients suffering a brain bleed potentially limiting the extent of bleeding according to research presented at the American Stroke Associations International Stroke Conference . Dabigitran is prescribed to people with atrial fibrillation to prevent blood clots from forming in the heart and traveling to the brain causing a stroke. Patients on bloodthinning drugs such as dabigatran Pradaxa who suffer a type of bleeding that occurs inside the skull intracranial hemorrhage are at high risk of complications or disability. Idarucizumab Praxbind is an antibody that chemically binds and neutralizes the bloodthinning effects of dabigatran. An interim analysis of the first  patients in a study called REVERSE AD REVERSal Effects of idarucizumab in patients on Active Dabigatran showed that idarucizumab effectively reversed dabigatrans anticoagulant effects said Richard A. Bernstein M.D. Ph.D. lead study author and director of the stroke program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago Illinois. Bernstein presented the results of  brain hemorrhage patients enrolled in the REVERSEAD study. This included  men and seven women average age . In patients who received two .gram of idarucizumab infusions in a minute period blood tests revealed that dabigatrans bloodthinning effect was  percent reversed in all  patients with brain bleed. This is definitely good news Bernstein said. Idarucizumab rapidly and completely reverses the effect of dabigatran in patients with brain hemorrhage. Once the dabigatran is reversed we can focus on taking care of the patient without worrying about the blood thinner. The new results are part of a large ongoing phase III study testing idarucizumab in a range of patients who take dabigatran and have dangerous bleeding or need urgent surgery or other procedures that carry serious bleeding risks. Idarucizumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October  as the first medicine designed to reverse dabigatran. Researchers say before idarucizumab was available patients on dabigatran who needed emergency surgery were given purified clotting factors which carry the risk of patients clotting systems forming dangerous blood clots. Idarucizumab gets rid of the dabigatran but doesnt seem to carry with it any tendency to increase clotting. This should make perioperative management easier and safer Bernstein said. Idarucizumabs success so far might persuade more people to take a blood thinner when their doctors recommend it. The biggest problem we face in preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is that almost half of patients dont take any blood thinner at all Bernstein said. I see the biggest impact of idarucizumab as providing reassurance to patients that if bleeding while taking dabigatran does occur we can quickly reverse the dabigatran. This reassurance could lead to more strokes prevented by increasing the use of an effective blood thinner.  Coauthors are Charles V. Pollack Jr. M.D. Jeffrey I. Weitz M.D. Paul A. Reilly Ph.D. John Eikelboom M.B.B.S. M.Sc. Menno V. Huisman M.D. Ph.D. Pieter W. Kamphuisen M.D. Ph.D. Jrg Kreuzer M.D. Jerrold H. Levy M.D. and Thorsten Steiner M.D. Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract. The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim. Praxbind and Pradaxa are both marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim of Ridgefield Connecticut. Additional Resources Any available downloadable videoaudio interviews Broll animation graphic and images related to this news release are on the right column of the release link httpnewsroom.heart.orgnewsnewdrugreversestheeffectsofbloodthinnerinpatientswithbrainhemorrhagepreviewbccebfc  Video clips with researchersauthors of the studies will be added to the release link as available.  Follow news from ASAs International Stroke Conference  via Twitter HeartNews ISC. Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals foundations and corporations including pharmaceutical device manufacturers and other companies also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http"