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Background The safety and efficacy of edoxaban and dalteparin is unclear for several cancer groups. Methods We evaluated the occurrence of the primary outcome in large cancer groups. The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent VTE or major bleeding over 12 months. Results In patients with gastrointestinal cancer, the primary outcome occurred in 19.4% patients given edoxaban and in 15.0% given dalteparin (risk difference [RD], 4.4%; 95%-CI, −4.1% to 12.8%). The corresponding rates for edoxaban and dalteparin were 10.4% and 10.7% for lung cancer (RD, −0.3%; 95%-CI, −10.0% to 9.5%), 13.6% and 12.5% for urogenital cancer (RD, 1.1; 95%-CI, −10.1–12.4), 3.1% and 11.7% for breast cancer (RD, −8.6; 95%-CI, −19.3–2.2), 8.9% and 10.9% for hematological malignancies (RD, −2.0; 95%-CI, −13.1–9.1), and 10.4% and 17.4% for gynecological cancer (RD, −7.0; 95%-CI, −19.8–5.7). In the subgroup of gastrointestinal cancer, edoxaban was associated with a 3.5% lower absolute risk of recurrent VTE and a 7.9% higher risk of major bleeding. Conclusion Edoxaban has a similar risk-benefit ratio to dalteparin in most cancer groups. In those with gastrointestinal cancer, the lower risk of recurrent VTE and the advantages of oral therapy need to be balanced against the increased risk of major bleeding.

BACKGROUND: In the Hokusai VTE Cancer study, the risk of major bleeding was 2.9% higher in the edoxaban group compared with the dalteparin group, mainly due to more gastrointestinal bleedings in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. The identification of risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding may help to guide the use of DOACs in these patients. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with gastrointestinal cancer receiving edoxaban. PATIENTS/METHODS: In this nested case-control study in patients with gastrointestinal cancer randomized to edoxaban in the Hokusai VTE Cancer study, cases (patients with clinically relevant gastrointestinal bleeding during treatment) were randomly matched to three controls (patients who had no gastrointestinal bleeding). Data for the 4-week period prior to bleeding were retrospectively collected. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated in a crude conditional logistic regression model and a multivariable model adjusted for age, sex, and cancer type. RESULTS: Twenty-four cases and 64 matched controls were included. In the multivariable analysis, advanced cancer, defined as regionally advanced or metastatic cancer (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.01-12.6) and low hemoglobin levels (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.5-16.0) were significantly associated with bleeding. There was no significant difference in patients with resected tumors (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.1-1.4), or in patients on chemotherapy (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.5-3.5). CONCLUSION: Advanced cancer and low hemoglobin levels were associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with gastrointestinal cancer receiving edoxaban. We were unable to identify other risk factors, mainly due to limited statistical power. ispartof: JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS vol:19 issue:12 pages:3008-3017 ispartof: location:England status: published

BACKGROUND: Factor XIa inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of venous and arterial thromboembolism may be more effective and result in less bleeding than conventional anticoagulants. Additional data are needed regarding the efficacy and safety of milvexian, an oral factor XIa inhibitor. METHODS: In this parallel-group, phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned 1242 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty to receive one of seven postoperative regimens of milvexian (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg twice daily or 25 mg, 50 mg, or 200 mg once daily) or enoxaparin (40 mg once daily). The primary efficacy outcome was venous thromboembolism (which was a composite of asymptomatic deep-vein thrombosis, confirmed symptomatic venous thromboembolism, or death from any cause). The principal safety outcome was bleeding. RESULTS: Among the patients receiving milvexian twice daily, venous thromboembolism developed in 27 of 129 (21%) taking 25 mg, in 14 of 124 (11%) taking 50 mg, in 12 of 134 (9%) taking 100 mg, and in 10 of 131 (8%) taking 200 mg. Among those receiving milvexian once daily, venous thromboembolism developed in 7 of 28 (25%) taking 25 mg, in 30 of 127 (24%) taking 50 mg, and in 8 of 123 (7%) taking 200 mg, as compared with 54 of 252 patients (21%) taking enoxaparin. The dose–response relationship with twice-daily milvexian was significant (one-sided P

The role of factor XI in the pathogenesis of postoperative venous thromboembolism is uncertain. Abelacimab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to factor XI and locks it in the zymogen (inactive precursor) conformation.In this open-label, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned 412 patients who were undergoing total knee arthroplasty to receive one of three regimens of abelacimab (30 mg, 75 mg, or 150 mg) administered postoperatively in a single intravenous dose or to receive 40 mg of enoxaparin administered subcutaneously once daily. The primary efficacy outcome was venous thromboembolism, detected by mandatory venography of the leg involved in the operation or objective confirmation of symptomatic events. The principal safety outcome was a composite of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding up to 30 days after surgery.Venous thromboembolism occurred in 13 of 102 patients (13%) in the 30-mg abelacimab group, 5 of 99 patients (5%) in the 75-mg abelacimab group, and 4 of 98 patients (4%) in the 150-mg abelacimab group, as compared with 22 of 101 patients (22%) in the enoxaparin group. The 30-mg abelacimab regimen was noninferior to enoxaparin, and the 75-mg and 150-mg abelacimab regimens were superior to enoxaparin (P0.001). Bleeding occurred in 2%, 2%, and none of the patients in the 30-mg, 75-mg, and 150-mg abelacimab groups, respectively, and in none of the patients in the enoxaparin group.This trial showed that factor XI is important for the development of postoperative venous thromboembolism. Factor XI inhibition with a single intravenous dose of abelacimab after total knee arthroplasty was effective for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and was associated with a low risk of bleeding. (Funded by Anthos Therapeutics; ANT-005 TKA EudraCT number, 2019-003756-37.).

BACKGROUND JNJ-9375 is an antibody against exosite 1 on thrombin, inhibits substrate binding but not catalytic activity. OBJECTIVE To examine the possibility that JNJ-9375 attenuates thrombosis without affecting hemostasis, we compared the efficacy and safety of JNJ-9375 and apixaban. METHODS In this double-blind, double-dummy phase 2 trial, 308 patients undergoing knee arthroplasty were randomized to receive either a single postoperative intravenous infusion of JNJ-9375 in doses ranging from 0.3 to 1.8 mg/kg or apixaban (2.5 mg twice daily). The primary efficacy endpoint was the incidence of venous thromboembolism (assessed by mandatory unilateral venography or confirmed symptomatic events). The primary safety outcome was the composite of major, clinically relevant nonmajor, and minimal bleeding. Thrombin times were measured to assess JNJ-9375 activity. RESULTS A total of 239 of the 308 patients (77.6%) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. Of these, 238 had evaluable venograms and one had symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis confirmed by ultrasound. Despite dose-dependent thrombin time prolongation, the primary efficacy outcome occurred in 59 of 190 patients (31.1%) in the combined JNJ-9375 groups as compared with 6 of 49 patients (12.2%) given apixaban (odds ratio 3.2; two-sided 80% confidence interval 1.8-5.8; P = .011). The excess events with JNJ-9375 compared with apixaban were consistent across all JNJ-9375 dosing cohorts and there was no evidence of improved efficacy with higher JNJ-9375 doses. There were no major bleeds with JNJ-9375 or apixaban, and rates of any bleeding were similar with the highest and lowest JNJ-9375 doses. CONCLUSIONS JNJ-9375 was safe but less effective than apixaban. This may reflect weak thrombin inhibition or inability of JNJ-9375 to attenuate the growth of thrombi that formed before drug administration.

Background Patients with active cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at high risk of recurrence. Therefore, continued anticoagulant therapy beyond the initial 6 months is suggested in this patient population, but evidence supporting this approach is limited. Methods The Hokusai VTE Cancer trial compared edoxaban with dalteparin for VTE treatment in patients with active cancer. This post hoc analysis focused on the follow-up period from 6 to 12 months. The primary outcome was the composite of adjudicated first recurrent VTE or major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included recurrent VTE, major bleeding, and clinically relevant bleeding. Results Of the 522 and 524 patients randomized to edoxaban or dalteparin, 294 (56%) received edoxaban and 273 (52%) received dalteparin for more than 6 months (median duration of 318 and 211 days, respectively). Between 6 and 12 months, the primary outcome during study treatment occurred in seven patients (2.4%) in the edoxaban group and six patients (2.2%) in the dalteparin group (unadjusted hazard ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-3.05). Recurrent VTE occurred in two patients (0.7%) in the edoxaban group and in three patients (1.1%) in the dalteparin group, whereas major bleeding occurred in 5 (1.7%) and three patients (1.1%), respectively. Conclusions The rates of recurrent VTE or major bleeding are relatively low among patients with active cancer receiving extended anticoagulant therapy beyond 6 months. Extended treatment with oral edoxaban appears as effective and safe as subcutaneous dalteparin.

INTRODUCTION Pulmonary embolism (PE)-related death is often part of the primary outcome in venous thromboembolism (VTE) studies. The Scientific and Standardization Committee (SSC) of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis developed a definition for PE-related death and classification of the cause of death. The present survey evaluated a preliminary version of this definition and classification. METHODS Sixty-nine VTE experts from 9 countries were invited for a cross-sectional online survey on January 15th , 2019, including multiple-choice and open-ended questions on a seven-subcategory classification of the cause of death. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the results; qualitative comments were summarized. RESULTS Forty of 69 (58%) invitees completed the survey. All respondents agreed that guidance on classification of the cause of death in VTE studies is required. There was high agreement on the proposal (median overall score, 6; interquartile range, 6-7; scale from 1 [poor] to 7 [excellent]). All respondents approved the wording and content of the seven subcategories, except for 1 disagreeing vote for 2 subcategories (A3: 'PE is not objectively confirmed, but is most likely the main cause of death', and C1: 'Another cause of death is more likely than PE but has not been objectively confirmed'). Suggestions for improvement mainly concerned the extensiveness of the criteria and clinical situations described to define the cause of death. CONCLUSION Acceptance of the proposal was excellent. Suggestions for improvement were incorporated in the SSC communication on the definition of PE-related death and classification of the cause of death in VTE studies.

The authors regret that panel E of Fig. 1 was missing, showing the cumulative incidence of the primary outcome in hematologic cancer. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

In the Hokusai VTE Cancer study, edoxaban was non-inferior to dalteparin for the composite outcome of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding in 1,050 patients with cancer-associated VTE. The absolute rate of recurrent VTE was 3.4% lower with edoxaban, whereas the absolute rate of major bleeding was 2.9% higher. The present analysis focuses on the sites, clinical presentation, course and outcome of bleeding events, and the associated tumour types. Major bleeds and their severity (categories 1–4) were blindly adjudicated by a committee using a priori defined criteria, and data were analysed in the safety population. Major bleeding occurred in 32 of 522 patients given edoxaban (median treatment duration, 211 days) and in 16 of 524 patients treated with dalteparin (median treatment duration, 184 days); no patients had more than one major bleed. There were no fatal bleeds with edoxaban, and two with dalteparin. Severe bleeding at presentation (category 3 or 4) occurred in 10 (1.9%) and 11 (2.1%) patients in the edoxaban and dalteparin groups, respectively. The excess of major bleeding with edoxaban was confined to patients with gastrointestinal cancer. However, severe major bleeding at presentation (category 3 or 4) in this sub-group occurred in 5 of 165 (3.0%) and in 3 of 140 (2.1%) patients given edoxaban or dalteparin, respectively.In conclusion, this analysis suggests that while oral edoxaban is an appropriate alternative to subcutaneous dalteparin for treatment of cancer-associated VTE, the use of edoxaban in patients with gastrointestinal cancer requires careful benefit–risk weighting.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) studies used direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with or without initial heparin. We aimed to (1) evaluate if PE patients benefit from initial heparin; (2) describe patient characteristics in the DOAC studies; and (3) investigate whether the anatomical extent of PE correlates with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, cause of PE, and recurrence rate. Our methods were (1) an indirect meta-analysis comparing the recurrence risk in DOAC-treated patients with or without initial heparin to those patients given heparin/vitamin K antagonist (VKA). (2) To compare the PE studies, information was extracted on baseline characteristics including anatomical extent. (3) The Hokusai-VTE study was used to correlate anatomical extent of PE with NT-proBNP levels, causes of PE, and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). The meta-analysis included 11,539 PE patients. The relative risk of recurrent VTE with DOACs versus heparin/VKAs was 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6–1.1) with heparin lead-in and 1.1 (95% CI: 0.8–1.5) without heparin. In the DOAC studies, the proportion of patients with extensive PE varied from 24 to 47%. In Hokusai-VTE, NT-proBNP was elevated in 4% of patients with limited and in over 60% of patients with extensive disease. Cause of PE and anatomical extent were not related. Recurrence rates increased from 1.6% with limited to 3.2% with extensive disease in heparin/edoxaban-treated patients, and from 2.4 to 3.9% in heparin/warfarin recipients. In conclusion, indirect evidence suggests a heparin lead-in before DOACs may be advantageous in PE. Anatomical extent was related to elevated NT-proBNP and outcome, but not to PE cause.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) facilitate the outpatient treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the pivotal trials of DOACs have not reported outcomes separately for patients managed either as outpatients or in the hospital. We performed a subgroup analysis of the Hokusai-VTE study comparing efficacy and safety of edoxaban with warfarin in 8,292 patients with acute VTE. Patients received initial therapy with open-label enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin for ≥5 days in the hospital or as an outpatient at the discretion of the treating physician. Edoxaban or warfarin was then given for 3 to 12 months. The primary efficacy outcome was the cumulative incidence of symptomatic recurrent VTE at 12 months. The principal safety outcome was the incidence of clinically relevant bleeding (composite of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding). Of the 5,223 consecutively enrolled patients with recorded hospital status and length of stay, 1,414 patients (27.1%) were managed as outpatients and 3,809 were managed in hospital. Among the outpatients, initial presentation was symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in 1,183 patients (83.7%) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in 231 patients (16.3%). Among the outpatients with DVT, recurrent VTE occurred in 18 (3.0%) given edoxaban and in 21 (3.6%) given warfarin (risk difference: −0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.6 to 1.4). The principal safety outcome in outpatients occurred in 46 edoxaban patients (7.7%) and in 48 warfarin patients (8.3%; risk difference: −0.59, 95% CI: −3.7 to 2.5). Most outpatients had symptomatic DVT at presentation. In these patients, initial heparin followed by edoxaban had similar efficacy and safety to standard therapy with heparin and warfarin.

Background Many patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) are elderly, have multiple comorbidities and take several concomitant medications. Physicians may prefer warfarin over direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in such patients because comparative data are lacking. This analysis was designed to determine the effects of advanced age, comorbidities, and polypharmacy on the efficacy and safety of edoxaban and warfarin in patients with VTE. Methods Using data from the Hokusai-VTE study, we report rates of recurrent VTE and of clinically relevant bleeding by age category ( 2) and concomitant medications ( 5). Hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for edoxaban versus warfarin were determined and Kaplan-Meier methodology was used to construct time-to-event curves. At 3 months, pre- and postdose levels of edoxaban were measured using mass spectrometry. For warfarin-treated patients, the time in therapeutic range was calculated. The study was approved by institutional review boards; informed consent was obtained. Results Recurrent VTE increased with advanced age, multiple comorbidities, and polypharmacy in warfarin-treated patients but not with edoxaban. Edoxaban was more effective than warfarin in patients ≥ 75 years of age and in those with multiple comorbidities. In the 517 patients over 80 years of age, recurrent VTE occurred in 2.8% given edoxaban and in 5.7% given warfarin (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.21–1.24). Bleeding increased with age, comorbidity, and polypharmacy regardless of treatment, but the relative safety of edoxaban versus well-managed warfarin was maintained. Age, comorbidity, and polypharmacy did not impact edoxaban concentrations. Conclusions These data suggest that a once-daily fixed dose of edoxaban is more effective and at least as safe as warfarin in high-risk VTE patients identified by older age, more comorbidities, and polypharmacy. Clinical trial registration: NCT00986154

Pulmonary embolism (PE)-related death is often a component of the primary outcome in venous thromboembolism (VTE) clinical studies. Definitions for PE-related death vary widely, which may lead to biased risk estimates of clinical outcomes, thereby affecting both internal and external validity of study results. We here provide a standardized definition of PE-related death and propose guidance for classification and reporting of the cause of death for clinical studies in VTE. The proposal was developed in a four-step process, including a systematic review of definitions used for PE-related death in previous studies, two subsequent surveys with VTE experts, and meetings held within the Scientific and Standardization Committee (SSC) working group until consensus on the proposal was reached. The proposed classification comprises three categories: Category A: PE-related death, category B: undetermined cause of death, and category C: cause of death other than PE. Category A includes A1: autopsy-confirmed PE in the absence of another more likely cause of death; A2: objectively confirmed PE before death in the absence of another more likely cause of death; and A3: PE is not objectively confirmed, but is most likely the main cause of death. Category B includes B1: cause of death is undetermined, despite available information; and B2: insufficient clinical information available to determine the cause of death. The use of the proposed definition will hopefully improve the accuracy of study outcomes, between-study comparisons, meta-analyses, and validity of future clinical VTE studies.

IntroductionIn cancer patients, current guidance suggests similar treatment for incidental and symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE), mainly based on retrospective data. We aimed to evaluate anticoagulant therapy in cancer patients with incidental and symptomatic VTE.MethodsThe Hokusai VTE Cancer Study was a randomised controlled trial comparing edoxaban with dalteparin for cancer-associated VTE. The primary outcome was the composite of first recurrent VTE or major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included major bleeding, recurrent VTE and mortality. Outcomes in patients with incidental and symptomatic VTE were evaluated during the 12-month study period.Results331 patients with incidental VTE and 679 patients with symptomatic VTE were enrolled, of whom the index event was confirmed by an independent radiologist. Median durations of anticoagulant treatment were 195 and 189 days, respectively. In patients with incidental VTE, the primary outcome occurred in 12.7% of patients, major bleeding in 6.6% of patients and recurrent VTE in 7.9% of patients. Out of the 26 VTE recurrences in patients with incidental VTE, five (31%) were incidental, seven (44%) were symptomatic and four (25%) were deaths for which pulmonary embolism could not be ruled out. In patients with symptomatic VTE, the primary outcome occurred in 13.8% of patients, major bleeding in 4.9% of patients and recurrent VTE in 10.9% of patients. All-cause mortality was similar in both groups.ConclusionClinical adverse outcomes are substantial in both cancer patients with incidental and symptomatic VTE, supporting current guideline recommendations that suggest treating incidental VTE in the same manner as symptomatic VTE.

Summary Background In patients with pulmonary embolism, right ventricular dysfunction is associated with early mortality. The Hokusai-VTE study used N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and right to left ventricular diameter ratio on CT as indicators of right ventricular dysfunction and reported that recurrent venous thromboembolism rates were lower with edoxaban than warfarin. The aim of the current study was to further explore the significance of right ventricular dysfunction and investigate potential explanations for the superiority of edoxaban—ie, differences in baseline clinical characteristics, duration of initial heparin treatment, bleeding rates, or quality of warfarin treatment. Methods The Hokusai-VTE trial was a randomised, double-blind, event-driven non-inferiority trial in patients from centres in 37 countries that compared edoxaban with warfarin in the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism. Patients received treatment for at least 3 months and up to a maximum of 12 months. Patients were followed up for 12 months. Outcome data at 12 months was collected for all patients irrespective of treatment duration. This prespecified subgroup analysis focuses on the included patients with pulmonary embolism. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of adjudicated symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism defined as a composite of deep vein thrombosis or non-fatal or fatal pulmonary embolism at 12 months. Recurrence rates with edoxaban and warfarin were compared in patients with and without right ventricular dysfunction. In those with NT-proBNP concentrations of 500 pg/mL or higher, we compared baseline characteristics, duration of heparin treatment, and bleeding leading to study drug discontinuation in the edoxaban and warfarin groups. We also assessed quality of warfarin treatment. All analyses were done with the modified intention-to-treat population. The Hokusai-VTE trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00986154. Findings Between Jan 28, 2010, and Oct 5, 2012, 8292 patients were enrolled from 439 centres, of whom 8240 received at least one dose of study drug. 3319 patients had pulmonary embolism. NT-proBNP was 500 pg/mL or higher in 465 (30%) of 1565 patients given edoxaban and in 507 (32%) of 1599 given warfarin. Recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred in 14 (3%) of 465 patients in the edoxaban group and 30 (6%) of 507 in the warfarin group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·50, 95% CI 0·26–0·94; p=0·033). The right to left ventricular diameter ratio was 0·9 or higher in 414 (44%) of 937 patients in the edoxaban group and 427 (45%) of 946 in the warfarin group. Recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred in 11 (3%) of 414 and 20 (5%) of 427 patients in the edoxaban and warfarin groups (HR 0·57, 95% CI 0·27–1·17; p=0·13). Baseline characteristics, duration of heparin treatment, and rates of bleeding leading to study drug discontinuation were similar in the edoxaban and warfarin groups and the quality of warfarin management was adequate for patients with NT-proBNP concentrations of 500 pg/mL or higher. Interpretation Findings from our analysis suggest that edoxaban is more effective than warfarin in the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with pulmonary embolism and evidence of right ventricular dysfunction. Funding Daiichi Sankyo.

SummaryDirect oral anticoagulants simplify venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment by obviating the need for coagulation monitoring. Nonetheless, renal function, body weight and P-glycoprotein inhibitors influence drug levels. The objective of this analysis was to determine whether reduction in edoxaban dose based on clinical criteria avoids excess drug exposure and preserves efficacy and safety in the Hokusai-VTE study. After initial heparin, patients received edoxaban or warfarin for 3-12 months. Edoxaban was given once daily at a dose of 60 mg, which was reduced to 30 mg in patients with a creatinine clearance of 30–50 ml/minute, body weight ≤60 kg or receiving certain P-glycoprotein inhibitors. The primary efficacy outcome was recurrent VTE and the principal safety outcome was major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding. A total of 8292 patients with acute VTE were randomised, 733 and 719 patients in the edoxaban and warfarin groups met the criteria for dose reduction. These patients were older, more often female or Asian and had more extensive VTE. Edoxaban levels were lower in the 30 mg edoxaban group. Rates of recurrent VTE and bleeding with the 30 mg and 60 mg edoxaban dose were comparable: VTE rates were 3.0 % and 3.2 % and clinically relevant bleeding rates were 7.9 % and 8.6 %, respectively. Rates of recurrent VTE and bleeding in the warfarin-treated patients meeting the criteria for dose reduction were 4.2 % and 12.8 %, respectively. The reduced dose edoxaban regimen maintained efficacy and safety compared with the 60 mg dose but was safer than warfarin in patients meeting the criteria for dose reduction.Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.

Venous thromboembolism occurs commonly in patients with cancer. Direct oral anticoagulants are non-inferior to conventional anticoagulants for the treatment of venous thromboembolism. We hypothesised that edoxaban, a direct oral inhibitor of activated clotting factor Xa, might be more suitable than conventional anticoagulants in the management of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of edoxaban compared with warfarin in a subgroup of patients with cancer enrolled in the Hokusai-VTE trial. We did a prespecified subgroup analysis in August, 2013, and a post-hoc analysis of non-inferiority and safety in March, 2016, of the patients with cancer enrolled in the randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre, Hokusai-VTE trial done between Jan 28, 2010, and Oct 31, 2012. In this study, patients aged at least 18 years with acute symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis or acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism (with or without deep-vein thrombosis) were assigned to receive edoxaban 60 mg once per day (or 30 mg once per day for patients with a creatinine clearance of 30-50 mL/min, bodyweight

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BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty are at risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The pathogenesis of postoperative VTE is incompletely understood, but tissue factor exposed at the surgical site is thought to be the major driver through the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. Experimental data indicate that reducing factor XI (FXI), a key component of the intrinsic pathway, attenuates thrombosis without causing bleeding, but the role of FXI in postoperative VTE in humans is unknown. There is evidence that patients with congenital FXI deficiency are at a reduced risk of VTE. FXI levels can be lowered with ISIS 416858 (FXI-ASO), an antisense oligonucleotide that specifically reduces human FXI mRNA expression in the liver. To determine whether lowering FXI levels prevents VTE without increasing the risk of bleeding, we compared several doses of FXI-ASO with enoxaparin on the rates of postoperative VTE and bleeding in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: We randomized 300 patients to one of two FXI-ASO regimens (200 or 300 mg) or to 40 mg enoxaparin once daily in an open-label, parallel group study. FXI-ASO was administered as 9 subcutaneous injections starting 36 days before surgery with the last dose given 3 days postoperatively. Enoxaparin was to be continued for at least 8 days postoperatively. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of VTE detected by mandatory bilateral venography (performed on days 8 to 12 postoperatively) or symptomatic events. The principal safety outcome was major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. All outcomes were adjudicated by a committee blinded to treatment allocation. RESULTS: FXI-ASO prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on the prothrombin time. Around the time of surgery, mean FXI activities were 0.38 ± 0.01, 0.20 ± 0.01 and 0.93 ± 0.02 units/ml in patients given the 200 and 300 mg FXI-ASO regimens and enoxaparin, respectively. In contrast, levels of FXII, FIX and FVIII, other components of the intrinsic pathway, were unaffected by FXI-ASO. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 36 of 134 (26.9%) and 3 of 71 (4.2%) patients given the 200 and 300 mg FXI-ASO regimens, respectively, compared with 21 of 69 (30.4%) patients in the enoxaparin group. The 200 mg regimen was non-inferior, while the 300 mg regimen was superior to enoxaparin (P CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to show that FXI contributes to postoperative VTE and that lowering FXI levels is very effective for its prevention and appears to be safe. Additional studies are needed to confirm the safety of FXI-ASO, although the fact that patients receiving this therapy safely underwent major orthopedic surgery is reassuring. Our findings support the concept that thrombosis and hemostasis can be dissociated with strategies that target FXI. The profile of FXI-ASO renders it an appealing option for treatment of patients with a wide range of chronic thrombotic conditions. Disclosures Buller: Isis Pharmaceuticals Daiichi-Sankyo Bayer Health-Care Pfizer Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria. Bethune:Isis Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Bhanot:Isis Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Gailani:Aronora: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Dyax: Consultancy, Research Funding; Instrument Laboratory: Consultancy, Research Funding; Isis: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Monia:Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Raskob:Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; ISIS Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria. Segers:Isis Pharmaceuticals Daiichi-Sankyo Bayer Health-Care Pfizer Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Medical Director ofAcademic Research Organization which received services fees for the scientific coordination of clinical studies Other. Weitz:Pfizer, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria.

SummaryDirect oral anticoagulants may be effective and safe for treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients, but they have not been compared with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), the current recommended treatment for these patients. The Hokusai VTE-cancer study is a randomised, open-label, clinical trial to evaluate whether edoxaban, an oral factor Xa inhibitor, is non-inferior to LMWH for treatment of VTE in patients with cancer. We present the rationale and some design features of the study. One such feature is the composite primary outcome of recurrent VTE and major bleeding during a 12-month study period. These two complications occur frequently in cancer patients receiving anticoagulant treatment and have a significant impact. The evaluation beyond six months will fill the current gap in the evidence base for the long-term treatment of these patients. Based on the observation that the risk of recurrent VTE in patients with active cancer is similar to that in those with a history of cancer, the Hokusai VTE-cancer study will enrol patients if whose cancer was diagnosed within the past two years. In addition, patients with incidental VTE are eligible because their risk of recurrent VTE is similar to that in patients with symptomatic disease. The unique design features of the Hokusai VTE-cancer study should lead to enrolment of a broad spectrum of cancer patients with VTE who could benefit from oral anticoagulant treatment.

JNJ9375 is a monoclonal antibody against exosite-1 on thrombin. JNJ9375 inhibits thrombin binding to its substrates but not its catalytic activity. Consequently, JNJ9375 may attenuate thrombosis without affecting hemostasis. To test this hypothesis, JNJ9375 and apixaban were compared in the TEXT-TKR

BACKGROUND: Selecting initial anticoagulant dose by patient weight for acute pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis has clinical credibility; however, uncertainty remains regarding how to dose obese patients with newer anticoagulants because outcome data are sparse. OBJECTIVES: To use the Matisse trials' comparison of sc fondaparinux once daily with control heparin therapies (intravenous unfractionated heparin for pulmonary embolism, sc enoxaparin 1 mg/kg b.i.d. for deep vein thrombosis) for initial treatment in order to compare primary outcomes (venous thromboembolism recurrence and major bleeding) in obese patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Primary outcomes were compared in subsets composed of patients weighing < or = and > 100 kg and with body mass index (BMI) < 30 and > or = 30 kg/m(2). Medians and ranges for weight and BMI were compared for patients suffering either recurrence or major bleeding. RESULTS: Twenty-two thousand and one patients received fondaparinux and 2217 received enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin. Four hundred and ninety-six patients (11%) weighed > 100 kg and 1216 (28%) had a BMI > or = 30. Treatment groups had similar characteristics. The upper limit in subject weight for recurrence was 166 kg (BMI 58), and for major bleeding 120 kg (BMI 39). The incidences of recurrence and major bleeding were similar for each patient subset of weight and BMI for both fondaparinux and heparin treatment groups. Among patients with a primary outcome, median weights and BMIs were also similar. CONCLUSIONS: The current recommended doses of fondaparinux and heparins for the treatment of venous thromboembolism appear to provide similar protection against recurrence and major bleeding to one another and to obese and non-obese patients

There are few data on the relative efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants, such as edoxaban, compared with vitamin K antagonists during extended therapy for venous thromboembolism. This analysis evaluates the risk-benefit of extended treatment for up to 12 months with edoxaban compared with warfarin among patients enrolled in the Hokusai-VTE study who continued therapy beyond 3 months. The Hokusai-VTE trial (NCT00986154) was a randomised, double-blind, event driven non-inferiority trial in 8292 patients comparing edoxaban with warfarin in the treatment of patients with acute venous thromboembolism. All patients were treated for at least 3 months and treatment was continued for up to 12 months. The outcomes at 12 months were documented in all patients irrespective of treatment duration. 3633 patients treated with edoxaban and 3594 treated with warfarin who completed 3 months of treatment were eligible for this analysis. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of adjudicated symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism evaluated for each of the time intervals of 3 months, greater than 3 months to 6 months, greater than 6 months to less than 12 months, and at 12 months, as well as the cumulative incidence occurring between 3 and 12 months. The principal safety outcome was the incidence of clinically relevant bleeding (composite of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding). Both on-treatment and intention-to-treat analyses were done. In the on-treatment analysis, the incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism at 3 months was 1·1% (0·8-1·4; 44 of 4118 patients) in the edoxaban-treated group versus 1·2% (0·9-1·6; 51 of 4122) in the warfarin-treated group; between greater than 3 months and 6 months, 0·7% (0·3-1·5; eight of 1076) versus 0·5% (0·2-1·1; five of 1084); between greater than 6 months and less than 12 months, 0·2% (0·0-0·8; two of 896) versus 0·8% (0·03-1·7; seven of 851); and at 12 months

On behalf of the Hokusai VTE Cancer Investigators The treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is challenging because these patients are at increased risk of both recurrent VTE and major bleeding. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) treatment is standard care for these patients, but requires daily subcutaneous injections. Guidelines recommend LMWH treatment for 6 months, but the risk-benefit beyond this time is uncertain. Direct oral anticoagulants are used for the treatment of VTE in patients without cancer, but their role in patients with cancer- associated VTE is uncertain. In this randomized, open-label non-inferiority trial, cancer patients with acute symptomatic or incidental VTE were assigned to receive LMWH for a minimum of 5 days followed by the oral factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban at a dose of 60 mg once daily (or 30 mg once daily in patients with a creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 ml per minute or a body weight below 60 kg), or subcutaneous dalteparin 200 units per kg once daily for one month followed by 150 units per kg thereafter. Patients received these regimens for up to 12 months. The primary outcome was the composite of the first recurrent VTE or major bleeding event during follow-up for 12 months. Secondary outcomes included recurrent VTE and major bleeding analyzed separately, and survival free of recurrent VTE or major bleeding. The study hypothesis was that edoxaban would be noninferior to dalteparin for the primary outcome with an upper 95% confidence interval [CI] for the hazard ratio below 1.5, and a two-sided alpha of 0.05. All outcomes were independently adjudicated by a committee without knowledge of treatment allocation. This committee also assessed the clinical severity of major bleeding events using categorical criteria defined a priori (categories 1 to 4). From July 2015 through December 2016 a total of 1050 patients were enrolled at 114 centers in 13 countries; 525 were randomized to edoxaban and 525 to dalteparin. At entry, pulmonary embolism with or without deep-vein thrombosis was present in 657 patients (63%) while the remainder had isolated deep-vein thrombosis. Of the 1050 patents, 706 (67%) had symptomatic VTE and the rest were incidental. Active cancer at entry was present in 97% of the patients and 53% had metastatic disease. 1046 patients were included in the modified-intention-to-treat analysis. The primary outcome occurred in 67 of 522 patients (12.8%) in the edoxaban group compared with 71 of 524 patients (13.5%) in the dalteparin group (hazard ratio with edoxaban, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.70 to 1.36; P = 0.0056 for noninferiority) for a risk difference (edoxaban minus dalteparin) of - 0.7% (95% CI, - 4.8 to 3.4). The difference in risk for recurrent VTE was -3.8 % (95% CI, -7.1 to -0.4), whereas the corresponding difference in risk for major bleeding was 3.1% (95% CI, 0.5 to 5.7). The frequencies of severe major bleeding events (categories 3 and 4) were similar during treatment with edoxaban or dalteparin (12 patients in each group respectively). Survival at 12 months free of recurrent VTE and major bleeding in the edoxaban and dalteparin groups was similar (55.0% and 56.5% respectively). Oral edoxaban for up to 12 months is noninferior to subcutaneous dalteparin for the treatment of cancer-associated VTE. Disclosures Raskob: BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Eli Lilly: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Johnson and Johnson: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Portola: Consultancy; Boehringer-Ingelheim: Consultancy; Medscape: Honoraria; Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria. Van Es:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria. Verhamme:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Portola: Consultancy; Medscape: Honoraria; Leo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi Aventis: Research Funding; Medtronic: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Carrier:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Leo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria. Di Nisio:Daiichi: Consultancy, Honoraria. Garcia:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Medscape: Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Grosso:Daiichi Sankyo: Employment. Kakkar:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Research Funding; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi SA: Consultancy, Honoraria; Verseon: Consultancy, Honoraria. Kovacs:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding. Mercuri:Daiichi Sankyo: Employment, Patents & Royalties: pending properties of edoxaban . Meyer:BMS Pfizer: Research Funding; Leo: Other: travel support; Stago: Other: travel support. Segers:Ionis: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Shi:Daiichi Sankyo: Employment. Wang:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria. Yeo:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Leo: Consultancy, Honoraria. Zhang:Daiichi Sankyo: Employment. Zwicker:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Quercegen Pharma: Research Funding; Parexel: Consultancy. Weitz:Daiichi-Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck & Co., Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria; Portola Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Medscape: Consultancy, Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy; Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria. Büller:Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Honoraria; Portola: Consultancy; Medscape: Honoraria; Eli Lilly: Consultancy; Sanofi Aventis: Consultancy; Ionis: Consultancy.

Background: Some patients with acute VTE who may previously have been exposed to heparin products have unrecognized antibodies implicated in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Antibody prevalence and patient consequences upon exposure to heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, and fondaparinux are uncertain. Methods: In this secondary analysis, we tested patients in the Matisse VTE studies at study entry for heparin-dependent antibodies and further tested patients with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-positive results for platelet-activating antibodies. We compared the risk of HIT (> 50% fall in platelet count, heparin-dependent antibodies, no contradicting features) between patients treated with heparin (either unfractionated or low molecular weight [enoxaparin]) vs those who received fondaparinux. Comparison groups for thrombocytopenia occurrence comprised patients with ELISA-positive, platelet-activating, antibody-positive results; ELISA-positive, but platelet-activating antibody-negative results; and randomly selected antibodynegative results. Results: A total of 127 of 3,994 patients (3.2%) had ELISA-positive results at baseline, but only 14 (0.4%; 95% CI, 0.2%-0.6%) had platelet-activating antibodies. Among these 14, four treated with unfractionated or low-molecular-weight heparin developed HIT compared with zero of 10 fondaparinux-treated patients (OR, 95; 95% CI, 8-1,123; P

Background: The current standard initial therapies for deep venous thrombosis are low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin. In a dose-ranging study of patients with symptomatic deep venous thrombosis, fondaparinux had efficacy and a safety profile similar to those of low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin). Objective: To evaluate whether fondaparinux has efficacy and safety similar to those of enoxaparin in patients with deep venous thrombosis. Design: Randomized, double-blind study. Setting: 154 centers worldwide. Patients: 2205 patients with acute symptomatic deep venous thrombosis. Intervention: Fondaparinux, 7.5 mg (5.0 mg in patients weighing 100 kg) subcutaneously once daily, or enoxaparin, 1 mg/kg of body weight, subcutaneously twice daily for at least 5 days and until vitamin K antagonists induced an international normalized ratio greater than 2.0. Measurements: The primary efficacy outcome was the 3-month incidence of symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolic complications. The main safety outcomes were major bleeding during initial treatment and death. An independent, blinded committee adjudicated all outcomes. Results: 43 (3.9%) of 1098 patients randomly assigned to fondaparinux had recurrent thromboembolic events compared with 45 (4.1%) of 1107 patients randomly assigned to enoxaparin (absolute difference, -0.15 percentage point [95% Cl, -1.8 to 1.5 percentage points]). Major bleeding occurred in 1.1% of patients receiving fondaparinux and 1.2% of patients receiving enoxaparin. Mortality rates were 3.8% and 3.0%, respectively. Limitations: Follow-up was incomplete in 0.4% of fondaparinux-treated patients and 1.0% of enoxaparin-treated patients. Conclusions: Once-daily subcutaneous fondaparinux was at least as effective (not inferior) and safe as twice-daily, body weight-adjusted enoxaparin in the initial treatment of patients with symptomatic deep venous thrombosis