For Acute Venous Thromboembolism, Apixaban Compares Favorably with Conventional Treatment

Apixaban (Eliquis), a factor Xa inhibitor, is one of several new oral anticoagulation drugs that require no monitoring. In this industry-sponsored, placebo-controlled trial, 5400 patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) received 6-month courses of either apixaban (given twice daily) or conventional treatment with enoxaparin followed by warfarin. The qualifying diagnosis was deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in 65% of patients and pulmonary embolism (with or without DVT) in 35%.

Apixaban was noninferior to conventional therapy at 6 months: The primary efficacy outcome (recurrent symptomatic or fatal VTE) occurred in 2.3% of apixaban recipients and in 2.7% of conventional-therapy recipients. Rates of major bleeding were significantly lower …