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 in the apixaban group than in the conventional-therapy group (0.6% vs. 1.8%).

COMMENT

In this study, oral therapy with apixaban was as effective as — and possibly safer than — enoxaparin plus warfarin for patients with acute venous thromboembolism. In another recent trial, apixaban lowered the incidence of recurrent VTE (compared with placebo) in patients who already had completed initial 6- to 12-month course of conventional anticoagulation (NEJM JW Gen Med Jan 3 2013). However, apixaban currently is FDA-approved only for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation; the only new drug that is FDA-approved for fully oral treatment of acute VTE is another factor Xa inhibitor, rivaroxaban (Xarelto).