What is tranexamic acid?

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a drug that reduces bleeding by inhibiting blood clot breakdown. It was invented by Utako and Shosuke Okamoto in Japan in the 1950’s. TXA is a widely available medicine that is commonly used for other types of bleeding including bleeding due to an injury, heavy menstrual bleeding, dental bleeding and surgical bleeding.

You can learn more about the story of TXA at at TXA Central https://txacentral.lshtm.ac.uk/history/