Two medicines, side by side
Apixaban vs prasugrel
Apixaban is labeled for atrial fibrillation, blood clots (dvt and pe) and stroke prevention; prasugrel for heart attack and coronary artery disease and angina. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of apixaban since 2012 and of prasugrel since 2009. Pharmacies paid $5.52 per Eliquis 5 mg tablet and $0.263 per prasugrel 10 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ and one is a brand and one a generic, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, apixaban is a factor xa inhibitor and prasugrel a p2y12 platelet inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the apixaban FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 24, 2026); the prasugrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 11, 2025).
Highlights of the apixaban record
Apixaban (Eliquis) · label of April 24, 2026
(A) PREMATURE DISCONTINUATION OF ELIQUIS INCREASES THE RISK OF THROMBOTIC EVENTS (B) SPINAL/EPIDURAL HEMATOMA (A) PREMATURE DISCONTINUATION OF ELIQUIS INCREASES THE RISK OF THROMBOTIC EVENTS Premature discontinuation of any oral anticoagulant, including ELIQUIS, increases the risk of thrombotic events.
Used for
From the label: indicationsELIQUIS is a factor Xa inhibitor indicated: • to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. (1.1) • for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in adult patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- December 28, 2012
- Generic labelers
- 2 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $5.52 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the prasugrel record
Prasugrel (Effient) · label of February 11, 2025
BLEEDING RISK Prasugrel tablets can cause significant, sometimes fatal, bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.2 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )]. Do not use prasugrel tablets in patients with active pathological bleeding or a history of transient ischemic attack or stroke [see Contraindications ( 4.1 , 4.2 )].
Used for
From the label: indicationsPrasugrel tablets is a P2Y 12 platelet inhibitor indicated for the reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events (including stent thrombosis) in patients with acute coronary syndrome who are to be managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as follows: Patients with unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) ( 1.1 ). […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- July 10, 2009
- Generic labelers
- 10 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.263 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 5
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Apixaban label of April 24, 2026, Prasugrel label of February 11, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do apixaban and prasugrel differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, apixaban is a factor xa inhibitor and prasugrel a p2y12 platelet inhibitor.
How each works, in its label's words: Apixaban, “Apixaban is a selective inhibitor of FXa.”; Prasugrel, “Prasugrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Apixaban, “Apixaban has a total clearance of approximately 3.3 L/hour and an apparent half-life of approximately 12 hours …”; Prasugrel, “The active metabolite has an elimination half-life of about 7 hours (range 2-15 hours).”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: apixaban since 2019; prasugrel since 2017 (Drugs@FDA).
| Apixaban | Prasugrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Atrial fibrillation, Blood clots (DVT and PE), Stroke prevention | Heart attack and coronary artery disease, Angina |
| Pharmacologic class | Factor Xa Inhibitor | P2Y12 Platelet Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | Apixaban is a selective inhibitor of FXa. It does not require antithrombin III for antithrombotic activity. Apixaban inhibits free and clot-bound FXa, and prothrombinase activity. | Prasugrel is an inhibitor of platelet activation and aggregation through the irreversible binding of its active metabolite to the P2Y 12 class of ADP receptors on platelets. |
| Half-life (label) | Apixaban has a total clearance of approximately 3.3 L/hour and an apparent half-life of approximately 12 hours following oral administration. | The active metabolite has an elimination half-life of about 7 hours (range 2-15 hours). |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | December 28, 2012 | July 10, 2009 |
| First generic approved | December 23, 2019 | July 12, 2017 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 2 labelers | 10 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $5.52 per tablet (Eliquis 5 mg tablet) | $0.263 per tablet (Prasugrel 10 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -43% | -7% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 5 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 66,522 | 12,433 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to apixaban
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions