This grade answers one narrow question: how strong is the public evidence and safety record behind this drug, and how clean is its money trail and court record? It is not a verdict on whether the drug is right for you.
WARNING: SPINAL/EPIDURAL HEMATOMAS Epidural or spinal hematomas may occur in patients who are anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) or heparinoids and are receiving neuraxial anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture. These hematomas may result in long-term or permanent paralysis. Consider these risks when scheduling patients for spinal procedures. Factors that can increase the risk of developing epidural or spinal hematomas in these patients include: Use of indwelling epidural catheters Concomitant use of other drugs that affect hemostasis, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), platelet inhibitors, and other anticoagulants A history of traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal punctures A history of spinal deformity or spinal surgery Optimal timing between the administration of enoxaparin sodium and neuraxial procedures is not known Monitor patients frequently for signs and symptoms of neurological impairment. If neurological compromise is noted, urgent treatment is necessary. Consider the benefits and risks before neuraxial intervention in patients anticoagulated or to be anticoagulated for thromboprophylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ...
Listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: a global expert panel judged it among the medicines a health system should always have, on evidence of value, not marketing.
Enoxaparin sodium is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) indicated for: Prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in abdominal surgery, hip replacement surgery, knee replacement surgery, or medical patients with severely restricted mobility during acute illness ( 1.1 ) Inpatient treatment of acute DVT with or without pulmonary embolism ( 1.2 ) Outpatient treatment of acute DVT without pulmonary embolism ( 1.2 ) Prophylaxis of ischemic complications of unstable angina and non–Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) ( 1.3 ) Treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) managed medically or with subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ( 1.4 ) 1.1 Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Enoxaparin sodium is indicated for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE): in patients undergoing abdominal surgery who are at risk for thromboembolic complications [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ] in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, during and following hospitalization in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery in medical patients who are at risk for thromboembolic complications due to severely restricted mobil...
Enoxaparin sodium is contraindicated in patients with: Active major bleeding History of immune-mediated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) within the past 100 days or in the presence of circulating antibodies [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Known hypersensitivity to enoxaparin sodium (e.g., pruritus, urticaria, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions) [see Adverse Reactions (6.2) ] Known hypersensitivity to heparin or pork products Known hypersensitivity to benzyl alcohol (which is in only the multiple-dose formulation of enoxaparin sodium) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Active major bleeding ( 4 ) History of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) within the past 100 days or in the presence of circulating antibodies ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to enoxaparin sodium ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to heparin or pork products ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to benzyl alcohol (for multiple-dose formulation only) ( 4 )
Increased Risk of Hemorrhage: Monitor for signs of bleeding. ( 5.1 , 5.2 , 5.3 ) Risk of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia with or without Thrombosis. ( 5.4 ) Thrombocytopenia: Monitor platelet count closely. ( 5.5 ) Interchangeability with other heparins: Do not exchange with heparin or other LMWHs. ( 5.6 ) Increased Risk of Thrombosis in Pregnant Women with Mechanical Prosthetic Heart Valves: Women and their fetuses may be at increased risk. Monitor more frequently and adjust dosage as needed. ( 5.7 ) 5.1 Increased Risk of Hemorrhage Cases of epidural or spinal hemorrhage and subsequent hematomas have been reported with the use of enoxaparin sodium and epidural or spinal anesthesia/analgesia or spinal puncture procedures, resulting in long-term or permanent paralysis. The risk of these events is higher with the use of postoperative indwelling epidural catheters, with the concomitant use of additional drugs affecting hemostasis such as NSAIDs, with traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal puncture, or in patients with a history of spinal surgery or spinal deformity [see Boxed Warning , Adverse Reactions (6.2) and Drug Interactions (7) ] . To reduce the potential risk of bleeding as...
The following serious adverse reactions are also discussed in other sections of the labeling: Spinal/epidural hematomas [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Increased Risk of Hemorrhage [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Thrombocytopenia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Most common adverse reactions (>1%) were bleeding, anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevation of serum aminotransferase, diarrhea, nausea, ecchymosis, fever, edema, peripheral edema, dyspnea, confusion, and injection site pain. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC at 1-800-551-7176 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. During clinical development for the approved indications, 15,918 patients were exposed to enoxaparin sodium. These included 1,228 for prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis following abdominal surgery in patients at risk for thrombo...
Source: FDA SPL label for Enoxaparin Sodium (Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC), effective 20260204. Full label on DailyMed.
These are counts of reports people filed, not rates of harm. Anyone can file one, and nobody checks whether the drug was the cause. Millions of doses are taken for every report sent, so the useful part is how this drug compares with the average across all drugs.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,292 | 8,565 | 7,102 | 6,415 | 5,340 | 4,695 | 4,397 | 2,028 |
20,598 reports blaming this drug for every million Medicare prescriptions filled, which is 7.4× the typical drug on this site. (10,997 reports in 2024–2026, against 533,899 Medicare fills in one year. This is the one number here that accounts for how many people take the drug.)
Source: the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports are voluntary and unverified. Drugs that are prescribed a lot, in the news, or in lawsuits attract more reports, so the percentages are compared with the whole database to correct for that partly, not fully.
| Date | Class | Firm | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/2025 | Class II | Cardinal Health Inc. | Correct Labeled Product Mispack: Bags labeled for Enoxaparin Sodium Injection, 80 mg/0.8 mL, contained Enoxaparin Sodium Injection, 30 mg/0.3 mL |
| 01/2022 | Class II | CARDINAL HEALTHCARE | CGMP Deviations: Products were exposed to temperatures outside of the products labeled storage conditions. |
Class I = reasonable probability of serious harm. Class II = temporary or reversible harm. Class III = unlikely to harm. Most generic recalls are manufacturing or labeling defects for one lot, not a verdict on the molecule.
Counts measure how much evidence exists and how transparent it is, not how big the benefit is. For that, ask your prescriber: if 100 people like me took this, how many would get better because of it, and how many would be harmed? (Doctors call these the "number needed to treat" and "number needed to harm.") It differs by condition and is the number drug ads leave out. Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov.
In 2024, drug companies reported $0 in payments to US physicians and hospitals tied to this drug across 0 transactions.
No pending federal MDL names this drug or its brands.
Not named in any federal pharmaceutical settlement of $100M or more on record.
Sources: CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act); Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation pending docket list; DOJ settlements as tabulated on Wikipedia with links to the primary record. State-court and individual suits are not included.
| Product | Fills | $/fill |
|---|---|---|
| Enoxaparin Sodium | 532,949 | $149 |
| Lovenox | 950 | $607 |
Same ATC pharmacological class, graded ones first, best grade at the top. Being in the same class does not make them interchangeable for your condition; it makes them worth asking about.