Newswise — September 12, 2022 – The oral anticoagulant drug apixaban may offer a safer, more effective alternative to standard home heparin injections for patients taking extended prophylaxis (EP) to prevent blood-clot-related complications after surgery, reports a study in The Journal of Urology®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
"Apixaban is non-inferior to enoxaparin for EP after urologic oncology surgery," according to the report by lead author Mary Elizabeth Westerman, MD, senior author Surena F. Matin, MD, and colleagues of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. "Based on these results, apixaban is now our departmental standard."
No major complications – and fewer 'compliance events' – with oral apixaban
Patients undergoing major surgery for abdominopelvic cancers often receive several weeks of treatment with anti-clotting medications to lower their risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). A VTE is a clot that develops in the veins, which can lead to serious problems like poor blood circulation in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) or blockage of the arteries leading to the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
The standard form of EP for VTE prevention is daily self-injection with the anti-clotting drug enoxaparin (or in some cases three times a day with heparin). Although enoxaparin is effective, previous studies have reported numerous barriers to its use – especially problems related to daily home injections.
Recent studies have reported promising results with apixaban: one of a group of newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). As part of a quality improvement (QI) project, the researchers prospectively analyzed 315 patients undergoing extended-duration VTE prophylaxis after major surgery for abdominopelvic cancers – mainly bladder, prostate, or kidney cancer.
A group of 161 patients were prescribed standard EP with injectable enoxaparin. The comparison group included 154 patients who received oral treatment with apixaban. The analysis focused on "compliance events" related to VTE prevention, including changes in the intended medication for patient-related and other factors, including cost; and skipped medication doses, as reported by patients. The study was designed to determine whether apixaban could improve compliance with VTE, without compromising patient safety.
None of the patients receiving apixaban had major complications (major bleeding or VTE), compared to 3.1% with injectable enoxaparin. That was within the "non-inferiority" threshold established for the study – in other words, use of apixaban was not worse than the standard. Rates of minor complications, hospital readmissions, and emergency department visits were similar between groups.
Meanwhile, the overall rate of compliance events was significantly lower with apixaban: 14.3%, compared to 33.5% with enoxaparin. That may have at least partly reflected the high percentage (over 90%) of apixaban prescriptions filled by the pharmacy at the authors' hospital. Patients in the apixaban group were more likely to have a $0 copay for their medication – likely reflecting the availability of manufacturer coupons.
The authors' QI project adds to previous evidence that oral DOACs such as apixaban may have advantages for use in EP to prevent blood clot-related complications after major surgery for abdominopelvic cancers, compared to standard home heparin injections. "Regarding safety, apixaban is non-inferior to enoxaparin and may in fact have fewer associated major complications," Drs. Westerman and Matin and coauthors write. They note that formal randomized trials should be performed to confirm that apixaban has "a more favorable safety profile" than enoxaparin.
DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000002788
###
About The Journal of Urology®
The Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA), and the most widely read and highly cited journal in the field, The Journal of Urology® brings solid coverage of the clinically relevant content needed to stay at the forefront of the dynamic field of urology. This premier journal presents investigative studies on critical areas of research and practice, survey articles providing brief editorial comments on the best and most important urology literature worldwide and practice-oriented reports on significant clinical observations. The Journal of Urology® covers the wide scope of urology, including pediatric urology, urologic cancers, renal transplantation, male infertility, urinary tract stones, female urology and neurourology.
About the American Urological Association
Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health care policy. To learn more about the AUA visit: www.auanet.org
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2021 annual revenues of €4.8 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,800 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.
Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
RSS