Eliquis

Eliquis (apixaban) is a prescription blood thinner co-developed and marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer. It belongs to a class of medications called Factor Xa inhibitors (direct oral anticoagulants, or DOACs) and works by blocking a specific clotting protein to prevent dangerous blood clots from forming or growing.

Without insurance, Eliquis typically costs between $500 and $600 per month — and because it's often prescribed for life-long conditions like atrial fibrillation, the costs add up quickly. Both BMS and Pfizer offer patient assistance programs that can make Eliquis free or significantly more affordable.

How to Afford Eliquis

There are several ways to get help paying for Eliquis:

• Uninsured patients with limited income may receive free Eliquis through the Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation or Pfizer RxPathways.
• Commercially insured patients can use the Eliquis $10 Copay Card, which caps your monthly out-of-pocket at just $10 for up to 24 months.
• Medicare patients may qualify for Extra Help (Low Income Subsidy), which dramatically reduces Part D costs for blood thinners.

ClariMeds identifies the right free program for Eliquis based on your insurance and income — and handles the application from start to finish.

What Does Eliquis Treat?

Eliquis is FDA-approved to:

• Reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib) — an irregular heart rhythm
• Treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — blood clots that form in the deep veins, usually in the legs
• Treat pulmonary embolism (PE) — blood clots that travel to the lungs
• Prevent DVT and PE recurrence after initial treatment
• Prevent blood clots following hip or knee replacement surgery

Eliquis is one of the most-prescribed anticoagulants in the US because it requires no routine monitoring and has a lower risk of certain bleeding complications compared to older blood thinners like warfarin.

How Eliquis Works

Eliquis blocks Factor Xa, an enzyme that plays a central role in the clotting cascade — the chain of reactions your body uses to form blood clots. By inhibiting Factor Xa, Eliquis reduces the body's ability to form clots without completely eliminating clotting ability. Unlike warfarin, it does not require regular blood tests (INR monitoring) and has fewer food and drug interactions.