scholarly journals Effectiveness and Safety of Apixaban for Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Daily Practice

TH Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. e119-e126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan V. Hendriks ◽  
Frederikus A. Klok ◽  
Wilhelmina J.E. Stenger ◽  
Albert T.A. Mairuhu ◽  
Jeroen Eikenboom ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Phase 3 trials have shown comparable efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), with less major bleeding events in patients randomized to DOAC treatment. With DOACs being increasingly used in clinical practice, evaluation of the DOACs in daily practice-based conditions is needed to confirm their safety and effectiveness. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of apixaban in VTE patients in daily practice. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, consecutive patients diagnosed with VTE in two Dutch hospitals (Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden and Haga Teaching Hospital, The Hague) were identified based on administrative codes. We assessed recurrent VTE, major bleeding and mortality during a 3-month follow-up period in those treated with apixaban. Results Of 671 consecutive VTE patients treated with apixaban, 371 presented with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and 300 patients with deep-vein thrombosis. During 3 months treatment, 2 patients had a recurrent VTE (0.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08–1.1), 12 patients had major bleeding (1.8%; 95% CI: 1.0–3.2), and 11 patients died (1.6%; 95% CI: 0.9–2.9), of which one patient with recurrent PE and one because of a intracerebral bleeding. Conclusion In this daily practice-based cohort, apixaban yielded a low incidence of recurrent VTE, comparable to the phase 3 AMPLIFY study patients. The incidence of major bleeding was higher than in the AMPLIFY-study patients, reflecting the importance of daily practice evaluation and the fact that results from phase III clinical studies cannot be directly extrapolated toward daily practice.

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (12) ◽  
pp. 1968-1975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick van Es ◽  
Michiel Coppens ◽  
Sam Schulman ◽  
Saskia Middeldorp ◽  
Harry R. Büller

Key Points DOACs have similar efficacy as VKAs in the treatment of acute symptomatic VTE, but significantly reduce the risk of major bleeding. The efficacy and safety of DOACs in the treatment of acute VTE are consistent in clinically important subgroups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (06) ◽  
pp. 899-911
Author(s):  
Roisin Bavalia ◽  
Saskia Middeldorp ◽  
Gerhard Weisser ◽  
Christine Espinola-Klein

AbstractAs a result of the successful completion of their respective phase III studies compared with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), four direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been approved for the treatment and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). These DOACs—apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban—have subsequently seen a steady uptake among clinicians since their approval. Despite the suitability of DOACs for a broad range of patients, they are not appropriate in certain situations, whereas in others they require additional considerations such as dose reductions. Subanalyses of phase III trials and studies on specific VTE patient populations have been conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the DOACs in a broad range of settings, such as patients with renal impairment, patients with cancer, patients of childbearing potential, patients with multiple comorbidities and pediatric patients. Furthermore, many recent guidance documents from important hematological societies and other specialists have incorporated several of these developments. These documents also identify the patients for whom DOACs are not suitable and where traditional anticoagulation options such as heparins or VKAs should be considered instead. This review provides an overview of key VTE patient subgroups, the clinical evidence supporting the use of anticoagulation in these patients, and a discussion of the most appropriate approaches to their management, including considerations such as dosing, acute and extended treatment durations, and DOAC selection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhou ◽  
Haoyu Wu ◽  
Chen Wang ◽  
Bowen Lou ◽  
Jianqing She

Objective: In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of age, sex, and renal function on the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) vs. vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE).Methods: Electronic databases (accessed till June 2021) were systematically searched to investigate randomized clinical trials evaluating apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban vs. VKAs for the treatment of acute VTE. Results were presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs.Results: Direct oral anticoagulants were associated with a borderline higher efficacy in women (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.62–1.02), a significantly higher efficacy in patients with age more than 75 years (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.32–0.80), and creatinine clearance <50 ml/min (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.32–0.99). The primary safety endpoint of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding was significantly reduced in DOACs as compared to VKAs in both patients with age <75 years (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.70–0.89) and patients with age more than 75 years (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59–0.96). DOACs also show an advantage in terms of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding in men (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60–0.86) and patients with creatinine clearance of more than 50 ml/min (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.67–0.84).Conclusions: Direct oral anticoagulants have exhibited clinical preference among patients with acute VTE with decreased thrombosis and bleeding events, especially in patients with age more than 75 years and creatinine clearance <50 ml/min.


TH Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 03 (03) ◽  
pp. e309-e315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Mahé ◽  
Ismaïl Elalamy ◽  
Grigoris T. Gerotziafas ◽  
Philippe Girard

AbstractDirect oral anticoagulants (DOACs) represent an attractive alternative to low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) for the long-term treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis (CT) since they avoid the burden of daily injections. Analyses in subgroups of cancer patients from large randomized trials suggested that DOACs were at least as effective as vitamin K antagonists, while indirect comparisons suggested that DOACs' efficacy and safety profile were comparable to those of LMWHs. In the randomized controlled HOKUSAI-VTE Cancer study, currently the only completed phase III trial on DOACs in CT patients, edoxaban was shown noninferior to dalteparin on the composite primary endpoint of time to first recurrent venous thromboembolism or major bleeding during the 12 months after randomization. Study results suggest that both agents had comparable benefit/risk ratio in patients with CT. Even though this conclusion was valid from a strict statistical viewpoint, it was potentially misleading when interpreting benefit/risk ratios. Besides the obvious heterogeneity of the study population (e.g., 23% of patients no longer had cancer) and significantly different treatment durations between arms, secondary outcomes for efficacy were in favor of edoxaban for recurrent deep-vein thrombosis but not for recurrent pulmonary embolism, and major bleeding episodes were significantly more frequent in the edoxaban group, with an excess of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding episodes observed mainly but not only in patients with GI cancers. More research is needed regarding specific patients' profiles, cancer types, and treatment period to better clarify the respective roles of DOACs and LMWHs in CT patients.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (12) ◽  
pp. 1433-1441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frits I. Mulder ◽  
Floris T. M. Bosch ◽  
Annie M. Young ◽  
Andrea Marshall ◽  
Robert D. McBane ◽  
...  

Abstract Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are an emerging treatment option for patients with cancer and acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), but studies have reported inconsistent results. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of DOACs and low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) in these patients. MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and conference proceedings were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. Additional data were obtained from the original authors to homogenize definitions for all study outcomes. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were recurrent VTE and major bleeding, respectively. Other outcomes included the composite of recurrent VTE and major bleeding, clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (CRNMB), and all-cause mortality. Summary relative risks (RRs) were calculated in a random effects meta-analysis. In the primary analysis comprising 2607 patients, the risk of recurrent VTE was nonsignificantly lower with DOACs than with LMWHs (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.39-1.17). Conversely, the risks of major bleeding (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.55-3.35) and CRNMB (RR, 1.63; 95% CI, 0.73-3.64) were nonsignificantly higher. The risk of the composite of recurrent VTE or major bleeding was nonsignificantly lower with DOACs than with LMWHs (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.60-1.23). Mortality was comparable in both groups (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.68-1.36). Findings were consistent during the on-treatment period and in those with incidental VTE. In conclusion, DOACs are an effective treatment option for patients with cancer and acute VTE, although caution is needed in patients at high risk of bleeding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 284-296
Author(s):  
Maja Tomić

Venous thromboembolism (VTE; includes deep venous thrombosis, DVT, and pulmonary embolism, PE) represents the third most common acute cardiovascular syndrome. Contemporary VTE management comprises primary prevention in high-risk patients, treatment of established VTE, and prevention of its recurrence (secondary prevention). Anticoagulants are the basis of VTE pharmacological prophylaxis and treatment. For several decades, parenteral (heparin and low-molecular-weight heparins, LMWHs) and oral anticoagulants (vitamin K antagonists, VKAs) have been the cornerstone of VTE prevention/treatment. The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs: thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, and betrixaban) markedly improved the management of VTE by overcoming many disadvantages of conventional anticoagulants. For primary VTE prevention in patients after total hip/knee arthroplasty, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and dabigatran are preferred over LMWHs, due to comparable efficacy and safety, but favourable acceptability (avoided everyday injections). In other high-risk populations (other surgical patients, acutely ill medical patients), LMWHs are still the recommended option. Betrixaban is currently the only DOAC approved for VTE prophylaxis in medically ill patients during and after hospitalization. For acute VTE treatment and secondary prevention, DOACs (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, and dabigatran) are recommended as the first-line therapy in the general population. DOACs proved to be similarly effective but safer than VKAs. In some specific populations, DOACs also seem to be advantageous over conventional treatment (patients with renal impairment, elderly, long-term secondary prevention in cancer patients). Currently, there is no data from randomized head-to-head comparative studies between the DOAC classes or representatives so the choice is made mainly according to patient characteristics and pharmacokinetic properties of the drug.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (08) ◽  
pp. 851-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Spirk ◽  
Tim Sebastian ◽  
Martin Banyai ◽  
Jürg H. Beer ◽  
Lucia Mazzolai ◽  
...  

AbstractRenal impairment (RI) has increased substantially over the last decades. In the absence of data from confirmatory research, real-life data on anticoagulation treatment and clinical outcomes of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with RI are needed. In the SWIss Venous ThromboEmbolism Registry (SWIVTER), 2,062 consecutive patients with objectively confirmed VTE were enrolled. In the present analysis, we compared characteristics, initial and maintenance anticoagulation, and adjusted 90-day clinical outcomes of those with (defined as estimated creatinine clearance < 30 mL/min) and without severe RI. Overall, 240 (12%) patients had severe RI; they were older, and more frequently had chronic and acute comorbidities. VTE severity was similar between patients with and without severe RI. Initial anticoagulation in patients with severe RI was more often performed with unfractionated heparin (44 vs. 24%), and less often with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (52 vs. 61%) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs; 4 vs. 12%). Maintenance anticoagulation in patients with severe RI was more frequently managed with vitamin K antagonists (70 vs. 60%) and less frequently with DOAC (12 vs. 21%). Severe RI was associated with increased risk of 90-day mortality (9.2 vs. 4.2%, hazard ratio [HR]: 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–3.65), but with similar risk of recurrent VTE (3.3 vs. 2.8%, HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.57–2.52) and major bleeding (2.1 vs. 2.0%, HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.41–2.68). In patients with severe RI, the use of LMWH versus any other treatment was associated with reduced mortality (HR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.14–0.94; p = 0.036) and similar rate of major bleeding (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.17–2.00; p = 0.39). Acute or chronic comorbidities rather than VTE severity or recurrence may explain increased early mortality in patients with severe RI. The higher rate of VTE recurrence, specifically fatal events, than major bleeding reinforces the need for effective anticoagulation in VTE patients with severe RI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Desai ◽  
Gautam Krishna Koipallil ◽  
Nelson Thomas ◽  
Rahul Mhaskar ◽  
Nathan Visweshwar ◽  
...  

Abstract Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may be good alternatives to low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for treatment of cancer associated thrombosis (CAT). We conducted a meta-analysis of ten randomized clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DOACs in patients with CAT. All had study populations composed in entirety or in part of patients with CAT. The primary outcome (efficacy) was recurrent VTE and the secondary outcomes (safety outcomes) included major bleeding, clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB), and all bleeding (major bleeding + CRNMB). Participants treated with DOACs had lower risk of recurrent VTE, overall (RR 0.63; 95% CI 0.51–0.79; p < 0.0001), compared to LMWH (RR 0.57; 95% CI 0.40–0.83; p = 0.003), but not compared to VKA (RR 0.69; 95% CI 0.44–1.06; p = 0.09). Compared to LMWH, DOACs showed no difference in major bleeding risk (RR 1.31; 95% CI 0.78–2.18; p = 0.31), though had higher risk of CRNMB (RR 1.60; 95% CI 1.13–2.26; p = 0.008) and all bleeding (RR 1.49; 95% CI 1.10–2.01; p = 0.010). These results indicate that DOACs are more effective than LMWH for prevention of recurrent VTE with CAT though carry an increased risk for non-major bleeding compared to standard of care, LMWH.


Haematologica ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Cecilia Becattini ◽  
Rupert Bauersachs ◽  
Giorgio Maraziti ◽  
Laurent Bertoletti ◽  
Alexander Cohen ◽  
...  

The effect of renal impairment (RI) on risk of bleeding and recurrent thrombosis in cancer patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is undefined. We run a prespecified analysis of the randomized Caravaggio study to evaluate the role of RI as risk factor for bleeding or recurrence in patients treated with dalteparin or apixaban for cancer-associated VTE. RI was graded as moderate (creatinine clearance between 30-59 ml/minute; 275 patients) and mild (between 60-89 ml/minute; 444 patients). In 1142 patients included in this analysis, the incidence of major bleeding was similar in patients with moderate vs. no or mild RI (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.53-2.11), with no difference in the relative safety of apixaban and dalteparin. Recurrent VTE was not different in moderate vs. no or mild RI (HR 0 .67, 95% CI 0.38-1.20); in moderate RI, apixaban reduced recurrent VTE compared to dalteparin (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08-0.96; P for interaction 0.1085). At multivariate analysis, no association was found between variation of renal function over time and major bleeding or recurrent VTE. Advanced or metastatic cancer was the only independent predictor of major bleeding (HR 2.84, 95% CI 1.20-6.71), with no effect of treatment with apixaban or dalteparin. In our study in cancer patients treated with apixaban or dalteparin, moderate RI was not associated with major bleeding or recurrent VTE. In patients with moderate renal failure, the safety profile of apixaban was confirmed with the potential for improved efficacy in comparison to dalteparin.


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