Eliquis Drug Information
Generic name: APIXABAN
Factor Xa Inhibitor [EPC]
Uses of Eliquis
Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
ELIQUIS is indicated to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery
ELIQUIS is indicated for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.
Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis
ELIQUIS is indicated for the treatment of DVT.
Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism
ELIQUIS is indicated for the treatment of PE.
Reduction in the Risk of Recurrence of
DVT and PE ELIQUIS is indicated to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial therapy.
Dosage & Administration of Eliquis
Recommended Dose Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Patients
with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation The recommended dose of ELIQUIS for most patients is 5 mg taken orally twice daily. The recommended dose of ELIQUIS is 2.5 mg twice daily in patients with at least two of the following characteristics: age greater than or equal to 80 years body weight less than or equal to 60 kg serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery The recommended dose of ELIQUIS is 2.5 mg taken orally twice daily. The initial dose should be taken 12 to 24 hours after surgery.
In patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, the recommended duration of treatment is 35 days. In patients undergoing knee replacement surgery, the recommended duration of treatment is 12 days. Treatment of DVT and PE The recommended dose of ELIQUIS is 10 mg taken orally twice daily for the first 7 days of therapy.
After 7 days, the recommended dose is 5 mg taken orally twice daily. Reduction in the Risk of Recurrence of DVT and PE The recommended dose of ELIQUIS is 2.5 mg taken orally twice daily after at least 6 months of treatment for DVT or PE .
Missed Dose
If a dose of ELIQUIS is not taken at the scheduled time, the dose should be taken as soon as possible on the same day and twice-daily administration should be resumed. The dose should not be doubled to make up for a missed dose.
Temporary Interruption for Surgery and Other Interventions
ELIQUIS should be discontinued at least 48 hours prior to elective surgery or invasive procedures with a moderate or high risk of unacceptable or clinically significant bleeding . ELIQUIS should be discontinued at least 24 hours prior to elective surgery or invasive procedures with a low risk of bleeding or where the bleeding would be non-critical in location and easily controlled. Bridging anticoagulation during the 24 to 48 hours after stopping ELIQUIS and prior to the intervention is not generally required. ELIQUIS should be restarted after the surgical or other procedures as soon as adequate hemostasis has been established.
Converting from or to
ELIQUIS Switching from warfarin to ELIQUIS: Warfarin should be discontinued and ELIQUIS started when the international normalized ratio (INR) is below 2.0. Switching from ELIQUIS to warfarin: ELIQUIS affects INR, so that initial INR measurements during the transition to warfarin may not be useful for determining the appropriate dose of warfarin. One approach is to discontinue ELIQUIS and begin both a parenteral anticoagulant and warfarin at the time the next dose of ELIQUIS would have been taken, discontinuing the parenteral anticoagulant when INR reaches an acceptable range. Switching from ELIQUIS to anticoagulants other than warfarin (oral or parenteral): Discontinue ELIQUIS and begin taking the new anticoagulant other than warfarin at the usual time of the next dose of ELIQUIS. Switching from anticoagulants other than warfarin (oral or parenteral) to ELIQUIS: Discontinue the anticoagulant other than warfarin and begin taking ELIQUIS at the usual time of the next dose of the anticoagulant other than warfarin.
Combined P-gp and Strong
CYP3A4 Inhibitors For patients receiving ELIQUIS doses of 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily, reduce the dose by 50% when ELIQUIS is coadministered with drugs that are combined P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir) . In patients already taking 2.5 mg twice daily, avoid coadministration of ELIQUIS with combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors .
Administration Options For patients who are unable to swallow whole tablets, 5
mg and 2.5 mg ELIQUIS tablets may be crushed and suspended in water, 5% dextrose in water (D5W), or apple juice, or mixed with applesauce and promptly administered orally . Alternatively, ELIQUIS tablets may be crushed and suspended in 60 mL of water or D5W and promptly delivered through a nasogastric tube . Crushed ELIQUIS tablets are stable in water, D5W, apple juice, and applesauce for up to 4 hours.
Side Effects of Eliquis
Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation The safety of ELIQUIS was evaluated in the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES studies , including 11,284 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 5 mg twice daily and 602 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 2.5 mg twice daily. The duration of ELIQUIS exposure was ≥12 months for 9375 patients and ≥24 months for 3369 patients in the two studies.
In ARISTOTLE, the mean duration of exposure was 89 weeks (>15,000 patient-years). In AVERROES, the mean duration of exposure was approximately 59 weeks (>3000 patient-years). The most common reason for treatment discontinuation in both studies was for bleeding-related adverse reactions; in ARISTOTLE this occurred in 1.7% and 2.5% of patients treated with ELIQUIS and warfarin, respectively, and in AVERROES, in 1.5% and 1.3% on ELIQUIS and aspirin, respectively. Bleeding in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in ARISTOTLE and AVERROES Tables 1 and 2 show the number of patients experiencing major bleeding during the treatment period and the bleeding rate (percentage of subjects with at least one bleeding event per 100 patient-years) in ARISTOTLE and AVERROES. Table 1: Bleeding Events in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in ARISTOTLE* ELIQUIS N=9088 n (per 100 pt-year) Warfarin N=9052 n (per 100 pt-year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value Major † 327 462 0.69 <0.0001 Intracranial (ICH) ‡ 52 125 0.41 - Hemorrhagic stroke § 38 74 0.51 - Other ICH 15 51 0.29 - Gastrointestinal (GI) ¶ 128 141 0.89 - Fatal** 10 37 0.27 - Intracranial 4 30 0.13 - Non-intracranial 6 7 0.84 - * Bleeding events within each subcategory were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. Bleeding events were counted during treatment or within 2 days of stopping study treatment (on-treatment period). † Defined as clinically overt bleeding accompanied by one or more of the following: a decrease in hemoglobin of ≥2 g/dL, a transfusion of 2 or more units of packed red blood cells, bleeding at a critical site: intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, pericardial, intra-articular, intramuscular with compartment syndrome, retroperitoneal or with fatal outcome. ‡ Intracranial bleed includes intracerebral, intraventricular, subdural, and subarachnoid bleeding.
Any type of hemorrhagic stroke was adjudicated and counted as an intracranial major bleed. § On-treatment analysis based on the safety population, compared to ITT analysis presented in Section 14. ¶ GI bleed includes upper GI, lower GI, and rectal bleeding. ** Fatal bleeding is an adjudicated death with the primary cause of death as intracranial bleeding or non-intracranial bleeding during the on-treatment period. In ARISTOTLE, the results for major bleeding were generally consistent across most major subgroups including age, weight, CHADS 2 score (a scale from 0 to 6 used to estimate risk of stroke, with higher scores predicting greater risk), prior warfarin use, geographic region, and aspirin use at randomization (Figure 1). Subjects treated with ELIQUIS with diabetes bled more (3% per year) than did subjects without diabetes (1.9% per year). Figure 1: Major Bleeding Hazard Ratios by Baseline Characteristics – ARISTOTLE Study Note: The figure above presents effects in various subgroups, all of which are baseline characteristics and all of which were prespecified, if not the groupings. The 95% confidence limits that are shown do not take into account how many comparisons were made, nor do they reflect the effect of a particular factor after adjustment for all other factors.
Apparent homogeneity or heterogeneity among groups should not be over-interpreted. Table 2: Bleeding Events in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in AVERROES ELIQUIS N=2798 n (%/year) Aspirin N=2780 n (%/year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. Major 45 29 1.54 0.07 Fatal 5 5 0.99 - Intracranial 11 11 0.99 - ARISTOTLE Major Bleeding Forest Plot Other Adverse Reactions Hypersensitivity reactions (including drug hypersensitivity, such as skin rash, and anaphylactic reactions, such as allergic edema) and syncope were reported in <1% of patients receiving ELIQUIS. Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery The safety of ELIQUIS has been evaluated in 1 Phase II and 3 Phase III studies including 5924 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 2.5 mg twice daily undergoing major orthopedic surgery of the lower limbs (elective hip replacement or elective knee replacement) treated for up to 38 days.
In total, 11% of the patients treated with ELIQUIS 2.5 mg twice daily experienced adverse reactions. Bleeding results during the treatment period in the Phase III studies are shown in Table 3. Bleeding was assessed in each study beginning with the first dose of double-blind study drug. Table 3: Bleeding During the Treatment Period in Patients Undergoing Elective Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery Bleeding Endpoint* ADVANCE-3 Hip Replacement Surgery ADVANCE-2 Knee Replacement Surgery ADVANCE-1 Knee Replacement Surgery * All bleeding criteria included surgical site bleeding. † Includes 13 subjects with major bleeding events that occurred before the first dose of ELIQUIS (administered 12 to 24 hours post-surgery). ‡ Includes 5 subjects with major bleeding events that occurred before the first dose of ELIQUIS (administered 12 to 24 hours post-surgery). § Intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, pericardial, an operated joint requiring re-operation or intervention, intramuscular with compartment syndrome, or retroperitoneal.
Bleeding into an operated joint requiring re-operation or intervention was present in all patients with this category of bleeding. Events and event rates include one enoxaparin-treated patient in ADVANCE-1 who also had intracranial hemorrhage. ¶ CRNM = clinically relevant nonmajor. ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid 35±3 days Enoxaparin 40 mg sc qd 35±3 days ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid 12±2 days Enoxaparin 40 mg sc qd 12±2 days ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid 12±2 days Enoxaparin 30 mg sc q12h 12±2 days First dose 12 to 24 hours post surgery First dose 9 to 15 hours prior to surgery First dose 12 to 24 hours post surgery First dose 9 to 15 hours prior to surgery First dose 12 to 24 hours post surgery First dose 12 to 24 hours post surgery All treated N=2673 N=2659 N=1501 N=1508 N=1596 N=1588 Major (including surgical site) 22 (0.82%) † 18 (0.68%) 9 (0.60%) ‡ 14 (0.93%) 11 (0.69%) 22 (1.39%) Fatal 0 0 0 0 0 1 (0.06%) Hgb decrease ≥2 g/dL 13 (0.49%) 10 (0.38%) 8 (0.53%) 9 (0.60%) 10 (0.63%) 16 (1.01%) Transfusion of ≥2 units RBC 16 (0.60%) 14 (0.53%) 5 (0.33%) 9 (0.60%) 9 (0.56%) 18 (1.13%) Bleed at critical site § 1 (0.04%) 1 (0.04%) 1 (0.07%) 2 (0.13%) 1 (0.06%) 4 (0.25%) Major + CRNM ¶ 129 (4.83%) 134 (5.04%) 53 (3.53%) 72 (4.77%) 46 (2.88%) 68 (4.28%) All 313 (11.71%) 334 (12.56%) 104 (6.93%) 126 (8.36%) 85 (5.33%) 108 (6.80%) Adverse reactions occurring in ≥1% of patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery in the 1 Phase II study and the 3 Phase III studies are listed in Table 4. Table 4: Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥1% of Patients in Either Group Undergoing Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery ELIQUIS, n (%) 2.5 mg po bid N=5924 Enoxaparin, n (%) 40 mg sc qd or 30 mg sc q12h N=5904 Nausea 153 159 Anemia (including postoperative and hemorrhagic anemia, and respective laboratory parameters) 153 178 Contusion 83 115 Hemorrhage (including hematoma, and vaginal and urethral hemorrhage) 67 81 Postprocedural hemorrhage (including postprocedural hematoma, wound hemorrhage, vessel puncture-site hematoma, and catheter-site hemorrhage) 54 60 Transaminases increased (including alanine aminotransferase increased and alanine aminotransferase abnormal) 50 71 Aspartate aminotransferase increased 47 69 Gamma-glutamyltransferase increased 38 65 Less common adverse reactions in ELIQUIS-treated patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery occurring at a frequency of ≥0.1% to <1%: Blood and lymphatic system disorders: thrombocytopenia (including platelet count decreases) Vascular disorders: hypotension (including procedural hypotension) Respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders: epistaxis Gastrointestinal disorders: gastrointestinal hemorrhage (including hematemesis and melena), hematochezia Hepatobiliary disorders: liver function test abnormal, blood alkaline phosphatase increased, blood bilirubin increased Renal and urinary disorders: hematuria (including respective laboratory parameters) Injury, poisoning, and procedural complications: wound secretion, incision-site hemorrhage (including incision-site hematoma), operative hemorrhage Less common adverse reactions in ELIQUIS-treated patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery occurring at a frequency of <0.1%: Gingival bleeding, hemoptysis, hypersensitivity, muscle hemorrhage, ocular hemorrhage (including conjunctival hemorrhage), rectal hemorrhage Treatment of DVT and PE and Reduction in the Risk of Recurrence of DVT or PE The safety of ELIQUIS has been evaluated in the AMPLIFY and AMPLIFY-EXT studies, including 2676 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 10 mg twice daily, 3359 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 5 mg twice daily, and 840 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 2.5 mg twice daily.
Common adverse reactions (≥1%) were gingival bleeding, epistaxis, contusion, hematuria, rectal hemorrhage, hematoma, menorrhagia, and hemoptysis. AMPLIFY Study The mean duration of exposure to ELIQUIS was 154 days and to enoxaparin/warfarin was 152 days in the AMPLIFY study. Adverse reactions related to bleeding occurred in 417 (15.6%) ELIQUIS-treated patients compared to 661 (24.6%) enoxaparin/warfarin-treated patients.
The discontinuation rate due to bleeding events was 0.7% in the ELIQUIS-treated patients compared to 1.7% in enoxaparin/warfarin-treated patients in the AMPLIFY study. In the AMPLIFY study, ELIQUIS was statistically superior to enoxaparin/warfarin in the primary safety endpoint of major bleeding (relative risk 0.31, 95% CI, P-value <0.0001). Bleeding results from the AMPLIFY study are summarized in Table 5. Table 5: Bleeding Results in the AMPLIFY Study ELIQUIS N=2676 n (%) Enoxaparin/Warfarin N=2689 n (%) Relative Risk (95% CI) * CRNM = clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints.
Major 15 49 0.31 p<0.0001 CRNM* 103 215 Major + CRNM 115 261 Minor 313 505 All 402 676 Adverse reactions occurring in ≥1% of patients in the AMPLIFY study are listed in Table 6. Table 6: Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥1% of Patients Treated for DVT and PE in the AMPLIFY Study ELIQUIS N=2676 n (%) Enoxaparin/Warfarin N=2689 n (%) Epistaxis 77 146 Contusion 49 97 Hematuria 46 102 Menorrhagia 38 30 Hematoma 35 76 Hemoptysis 32 31 Rectal hemorrhage 26 39 Gingival bleeding 26 50 AMPLIFY-EXT Study The mean duration of exposure to ELIQUIS was approximately 330 days and to placebo was 312 days in the AMPLIFY-EXT study. Adverse reactions related to bleeding occurred in 219 (13.3%) ELIQUIS-treated patients compared to 72 (8.7%) placebo-treated patients. The discontinuation rate due to bleeding events was approximately 1% in the ELIQUIS-treated patients compared to 0.4% in those patients in the placebo group in the AMPLIFY-EXT study.
Bleeding results from the AMPLIFY-EXT study are summarized in Table 7. Table 7: Bleeding Results in the AMPLIFY-EXT Study ELIQUIS 2.5 mg bid N=840 n (%) ELIQUIS 5 mg bid N=811 n (%) Placebo N=826 n (%) * CRNM = clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. Major 2 1 4 CRNM* 25 34 19 Major + CRNM 27 35 22 Minor 75 98 58 All 94 121 74 Adverse reactions occurring in ≥1% of patients in the AMPLIFY-EXT study are listed in Table 8. Table 8: Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥1% of Patients Undergoing Extended Treatment for DVT and PE in the AMPLIFY-EXT Study ELIQUIS 2.5 mg bid N=840 n (%) ELIQUIS 5 mg bid N=811 n (%) Placebo N=826 n (%) Epistaxis 13 29 9 Hematuria 12 17 9 Hematoma 13 16 10 Contusion 18 18 18 Gingival bleeding 12 9 3 Other Adverse Reactions Less common adverse reactions in ELIQUIS-treated patients in the AMPLIFY or AMPLIFY-EXT studies occurring at a frequency of ≥0.1% to <1%: Blood and lymphatic system disorders: hemorrhagic anemia Gastrointestinal disorders: hematochezia, hemorrhoidal hemorrhage, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hematemesis, melena, anal hemorrhage Injury, poisoning, and procedural complications: wound hemorrhage, postprocedural hemorrhage, traumatic hematoma, periorbital hematoma Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: muscle hemorrhage Reproductive system and breast disorders: vaginal hemorrhage, metrorrhagia, menometrorrhagia, genital hemorrhage Vascular disorders : hemorrhage Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: ecchymosis, skin hemorrhage, petechiae Eye disorders: conjunctival hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage, eye hemorrhage Investigations: blood urine present, occult blood positive, occult blood, red blood cells urine positive General disorders and administration-site conditions: injection-site hematoma, vessel puncture-site hematoma
Warnings & Cautions for Eliquis
Increased Risk of Thrombotic Events after Premature Discontinuation Premature discontinuation of any
oral anticoagulant, including ELIQUIS, in the absence of adequate alternative anticoagulation increases the risk of thrombotic events. An increased rate of stroke was observed during the transition from ELIQUIS to warfarin in clinical trials in atrial fibrillation patients. If ELIQUIS is discontinued for a reason other than pathological bleeding or completion of a course of therapy, consider coverage with another anticoagulant .
Bleeding
ELIQUIS increases the risk of bleeding and can cause serious, potentially fatal, bleeding . Concomitant use of drugs affecting hemostasis increases the risk of bleeding. These include aspirin and other antiplatelet agents, other anticoagulants, heparin, thrombolytic agents, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) . Advise patients of signs and symptoms of blood loss and to report them immediately or go to an emergency room. Discontinue ELIQUIS in patients with active pathological hemorrhage.
Reversal of Anticoagulant Effect An agent to reverse the anti-factor Xa activity of apixaban is available. The pharmacodynamic effect of ELIQUIS can be expected to persist for at least 24 hours after the last dose, i.e., for about two drug half-lives. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), activated prothrombin complex concentrate or recombinant factor VIIa may be considered, but have not been evaluated in clinical studies . When PCCs are used, monitoring for the anticoagulation effect of apixaban using a clotting test (PT, INR, or aPTT) or anti-factor Xa (FXa) activity is not useful and is not recommended.
Activated oral charcoal reduces absorption of apixaban, thereby lowering apixaban plasma concentration . Hemodialysis does not appear to have a substantial impact on apixaban exposure . Protamine sulfate and vitamin K are not expected to affect the anticoagulant activity of apixaban. There is no experience with antifibrinolytic agents (tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid) in individuals receiving apixaban. There is no experience with systemic hemostatics (desmopressin) in individuals receiving ELIQUIS, and they are not expected to be effective as a reversal agent.
Spinal/Epidural Anesthesia or Puncture
When neuraxial anesthesia (spinal/epidural anesthesia) or spinal/epidural puncture is employed, patients treated with antithrombotic agents for prevention of thromboembolic complications are at risk of developing an epidural or spinal hematoma which can result in long-term or permanent paralysis. The risk of these events may be increased by the postoperative use of indwelling epidural catheters or the concomitant use of medicinal products affecting hemostasis. Indwelling epidural or intrathecal catheters should not be removed earlier than 24 hours after the last administration of ELIQUIS. The next dose of ELIQUIS should not be administered earlier than 5 hours after the removal of the catheter.
The risk may also be increased by traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal puncture. If traumatic puncture occurs, delay the administration of ELIQUIS for 48 hours. Monitor patients frequently for signs and symptoms of neurological impairment (e.g., numbness or weakness of the legs, or bowel or bladder dysfunction). If neurological compromise is noted, urgent diagnosis and treatment is necessary.
Prior to neuraxial intervention the physician should consider the potential benefit versus the risk in anticoagulated patients or in patients to be anticoagulated for thromboprophylaxis.
Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valves
The safety and efficacy of ELIQUIS have not been studied in patients with prosthetic heart valves. Therefore, use of ELIQUIS is not recommended in these patients.
Acute PE in Hemodynamically Unstable Patients or Patients who Require Thrombolysis or
Pulmonary Embolectomy Initiation of ELIQUIS is not recommended as an alternative to unfractionated heparin for the initial treatment of patients with PE who present with hemodynamic instability or who may receive thrombolysis or pulmonary embolectomy.
Increased Risk of Thrombosis in Patients with Triple Positive Antiphospholipid Syndrome Direct-acting
oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including ELIQUIS, are not recommended for use in patients with triple-positive antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). For patients with APS (especially those who are triple positive ), treatment with DOACs has been associated with increased rates of recurrent thrombotic events compared with vitamin K antagonist therapy.
Drug Interactions with Eliquis
Combined P-gp and Strong
CYP3A4 Inhibitors For patients receiving ELIQUIS 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily, the dose of ELIQUIS should be decreased by 50% when coadministered with drugs that are combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir) . For patients receiving ELIQUIS at a dose of 2.5 mg twice daily, avoid coadministration with combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors . Clarithromycin Although clarithromycin is a combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, pharmacokinetic data suggest that no dose adjustment is necessary with concomitant administration with ELIQUIS .
Combined P-gp and Strong
CYP3A4 Inducers Avoid concomitant use of ELIQUIS with combined P-gp and strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, St. John’s wort) because such drugs will decrease exposure to apixaban .
Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Agents Coadministration of antiplatelet agents, fibrinolytics, heparin, aspirin, and
chronic NSAID use increases the risk of bleeding. APPRAISE-2, a placebo-controlled clinical trial of ELIQUIS in high-risk, post-acute coronary syndrome patients treated with aspirin or the combination of aspirin and clopidogrel, was terminated early due to a higher rate of bleeding with ELIQUIS compared to placebo. The rate of ISTH major bleeding was 2.8% per year with ELIQUIS versus 0.6% per year with placebo in patients receiving single antiplatelet therapy and was 5.9% per year with ELIQUIS versus 2.5% per year with placebo in those receiving dual antiplatelet therapy.
In ARISTOTLE, concomitant use of aspirin increased the bleeding risk on ELIQUIS from 1.8% per year to 3.4% per year and concomitant use of aspirin and warfarin increased the bleeding risk from 2.7% per year to 4.6% per year. In this clinical trial, there was limited (2.3%) use of dual antiplatelet therapy with ELIQUIS.
Pregnancy Safety for Eliquis
Pregnancy Risk Summary The limited available data on ELIQUIS use in pregnant women are insufficient to inform drug-associated risks of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse developmental outcomes. Treatment may increase the risk of bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. In animal reproduction studies, no adverse developmental effects were seen when apixaban was administered to rats (orally), rabbits (intravenously) and mice (orally) during organogenesis at unbound apixaban exposure levels up to 4, 1 and 19 times, respectively, the human exposure based on area under plasma-concentration time curve (AUC) at the Maximum Recommended Human Dose (MRHD) of 5 mg twice daily.
The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated populations is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
Clinical Considerations Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk Pregnancy confers an increased risk of thromboembolism that is higher for women with underlying thromboembolic disease and certain high-risk pregnancy conditions. Published data describe that women with a previous history of venous thrombosis are at high risk for recurrence during pregnancy. Fetal/Neonatal adverse reactions Use of anticoagulants, including ELIQUIS, may increase the risk of bleeding in the fetus and neonate.
Labor or delivery All patients receiving anticoagulants, including pregnant women, are at risk for bleeding. ELIQUIS use during labor or delivery in women who are receiving neuraxial anesthesia may result in epidural or spinal hematomas. Consider use of a shorter acting anticoagulant as delivery approaches . Data Animal Data No developmental toxicities were observed when apixaban was administered during organogenesis to rats (orally), rabbits (intravenously) and mice (orally) at unbound apixaban exposure levels 4, 1, and 19 times, respectively, the human exposures at the MRHD. There was no evidence of fetal bleeding, although conceptus exposure was confirmed in rats and rabbits.
Oral administration of apixaban to rat dams from gestation day 6 through lactation day 21 at maternal unbound apixaban exposures ranging from 1.4 to 5 times the human exposures at the MRHD was not associated with reduced maternal mortality or reduced conceptus/neonatal viability, although increased incidences of peri-vaginal bleeding were observed in dams at all doses. There was no evidence of neonatal bleeding.
Pediatric Use of Eliquis
Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Contraindications for Eliquis
is contraindicated in patients with the following conditions: Active pathological bleeding Severe hypersensitivity reaction to ELIQUIS (e.g., anaphylactic reactions) Active pathological bleeding Severe hypersensitivity to ELIQUIS
Overdosage Information for Eliquis
Overdose of ELIQUIS increases the risk of bleeding . In controlled clinical trials, orally administered apixaban in healthy subjects at doses up to 50 mg daily for 3 to 7 days (25 mg twice daily for 7 days or 50 mg once daily for 3 days) had no clinically relevant adverse effects. In healthy subjects, administration of activated charcoal 2 and 6 hours after ingestion of a 20-mg dose of apixaban reduced mean apixaban AUC by 50% and 27%, respectively. Thus, administration of activated charcoal may be useful in the management of ELIQUIS overdose or accidental ingestion.
An agent to reverse the anti-factor Xa activity of apixaban is available.
Clinical Studies of Eliquis
Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
ARISTOTLE Evidence for the efficacy and safety of ELIQUIS was derived from ARISTOTLE, a multinational, double-blind study in patients with nonvalvular AF comparing the effects of ELIQUIS and warfarin on the risk of stroke and non-central nervous system (CNS) systemic embolism. In ARISTOTLE, patients were randomized to ELIQUIS 5 mg orally twice daily (or 2.5 mg twice daily in subjects with at least 2 of the following characteristics: age greater than or equal to 80 years, body weight less than or equal to 60 kg, or serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL) or to warfarin (targeted to an INR range of 2.0-3.0). Patients had to have one or more of the following additional risk factors for stroke: prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) prior systemic embolism age greater than or equal to 75 years arterial hypertension requiring treatment diabetes mellitus heart failure ≥New York Heart Association Class 2 left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40% The primary objective of ARISTOTLE was to determine whether ELIQUIS 5 mg twice daily (or 2.5 mg twice daily) was effective (noninferior to warfarin) in reducing the risk of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) and systemic embolism. Superiority of ELIQUIS to warfarin was also examined for the primary endpoint (rate of stroke and systemic embolism), major bleeding, and death from any cause.
A total of 18,201 patients were randomized and followed on study treatment for a median of 89 weeks. Forty-three percent of patients were vitamin K antagonist (VKA) “naive,” defined as having received ≤30 consecutive days of treatment with warfarin or another VKA before entering the study. The mean age was 69 years and the mean CHADS 2 score (a scale from 0 to 6 used to estimate risk of stroke, with higher scores predicting greater risk) was 2.1. The population was 65% male, 83% Caucasian, 14% Asian, and 1% Black.
There was a history of stroke, TIA, or non-CNS systemic embolism in 19% of patients. Concomitant diseases of patients in this study included hypertension 88%, diabetes 25%, congestive heart failure (or left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%) 35%, and prior myocardial infarction 14%. Patients treated with warfarin in ARISTOTLE had a mean percentage of time in therapeutic range (INR 2.0-3.0) of 62%. ELIQUIS was superior to warfarin for the primary endpoint of reducing the risk of stroke and systemic embolism (Table 9 and Figure 4). Superiority to warfarin was primarily attributable to a reduction in hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic strokes with hemorrhagic conversion compared to warfarin. Purely ischemic strokes occurred with similar rates on both drugs.
ELIQUIS also showed significantly fewer major bleeds than warfarin . Table 9: Key Efficacy Outcomes in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in ARISTOTLE (Intent-to-Treat Analysis) ELIQUIS N=9120 n (%/year) Warfarin N=9081 n (%/year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value The primary endpoint was based on the time to first event (one per subject). Component counts are for subjects with any event, not necessarily the first. Stroke or systemic embolism 212 265 0.79 0.01 Stroke 199 250 0.79 Ischemic without hemorrhage 140 136 1.02 Ischemic with hemorrhagic conversion 12 20 0.60 Hemorrhagic 40 78 0.51 Unknown 14 21 0.65 Systemic embolism 15 17 0.87 Figure 4: Kaplan-Meier Estimate of Time to First Stroke or Systemic Embolism in ARISTOTLE (Intent-to-Treat Population) All-cause death was assessed using a sequential testing strategy that allowed testing for superiority if effects on earlier endpoints (stroke plus systemic embolus and major bleeding) were demonstrated. ELIQUIS treatment resulted in a significantly lower rate of all-cause death (p = 0.046) than did treatment with warfarin, primarily because of a reduction in cardiovascular death, particularly stroke deaths.
Non vascular death rates were similar in the treatment arms. In ARISTOTLE, the results for the primary efficacy endpoint were generally consistent across most major subgroups including weight, CHADS 2 score (a scale from 0 to 6 used to predict risk of stroke in patients with AF, with higher scores predicting greater risk), prior warfarin use, level of renal impairment, geographic region, and aspirin use at randomization (Figure 5). Figure 5: Stroke and Systemic Embolism Hazard Ratios by Baseline Characteristics – ARISTOTLE Study Note: The figure above presents effects in various subgroups, all of which are baseline characteristics and all of which were prespecified, if not the groupings. The 95% confidence limits that are shown do not take into account how many comparisons were made, nor do they reflect the effect of a particular factor after adjustment for all other factors.
Apparent homogeneity or heterogeneity among groups should not be over-interpreted. At the end of the ARISTOTLE study, warfarin patients who completed the study were generally maintained on a VKA with no interruption of anticoagulation. ELIQUIS patients who completed the study were generally switched to a VKA with a 2-day period of coadministration of ELIQUIS and VKA, so that some patients may not have been adequately anticoagulated after stopping ELIQUIS until attaining a stable and therapeutic INR. During the 30 days following the end of the study, there were 21 stroke or systemic embolism events in the 6791 patients (0.3%) in the ELIQUIS arm compared to 5 in the 6569 patients (0.1%) in the warfarin arm . ARISTOTLE Kaplan-Meier Curve ARISTOTLE Forest Plot AVERROES In AVERROES, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation thought not to be candidates for warfarin therapy were randomized to treatment with ELIQUIS 5 mg orally twice daily (or 2.5 mg twice daily in selected patients) or aspirin 81 to 324 mg once daily.
The primary objective of the study was to determine if ELIQUIS was superior to aspirin for preventing the composite outcome of stroke or systemic embolism. AVERROES was stopped early on the basis of a prespecified interim analysis showing a significant reduction in stroke and systemic embolism for ELIQUIS compared to aspirin that was associated with a modest increase in major bleeding (Table 10) . Table 10: Key Efficacy Outcomes in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in AVERROES ELIQUIS N=2807 n (%/year) Aspirin N=2791 n (%/year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value Stroke or systemic embolism 51 113 0.45 <0.0001 Stroke Ischemic or undetermined 43 97 0.44 - Hemorrhagic 6 9 0.67 - Systemic embolism 2 13 0.15 - MI 24 28 0.86 - All-cause death 111 140 0.79 0.068 Vascular death 84 96 0.87 -
Prophylaxis of Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery
The clinical evidence for the effectiveness of ELIQUIS is derived from the ADVANCE-1, ADVANCE-2, and ADVANCE-3 clinical trials in adult patients undergoing elective hip (ADVANCE-3) or knee (ADVANCE-2 and ADVANCE-1) replacement surgery. A total of 11,659 patients were randomized in 3 double-blind, multi-national studies. Included in this total were 1866 patients age 75 or older, 1161 patients with low body weight (≤60 kg), 2528 patients with Body Mass Index ≥33 kg/m 2, and 625 patients with severe or moderate renal impairment.
In the ADVANCE-3 study, 5407 patients undergoing elective hip replacement surgery were randomized to receive either ELIQUIS 2.5 mg orally twice daily or enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously once daily. The first dose of ELIQUIS was given 12 to 24 hours post surgery, whereas enoxaparin was started 9 to 15 hours prior to surgery. Treatment duration was 32 to 38 days.
In patients undergoing elective knee replacement surgery, ELIQUIS 2.5 mg orally twice daily was compared to enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously once daily (ADVANCE-2, N=3057) or enoxaparin 30 mg subcutaneously every 12 hours (ADVANCE-1, N=3195). In the ADVANCE-2 study, the first dose of ELIQUIS was given 12 to 24 hours post surgery, whereas enoxaparin was started 9 to 15 hours prior to surgery. In the ADVANCE-1 study, both ELIQUIS and enoxaparin were initiated 12 to 24 hours post surgery. Treatment duration in both ADVANCE-2 and ADVANCE-1 was 10 to 14 days.
In all 3 studies, the primary endpoint was a composite of adjudicated asymptomatic and symptomatic DVT, nonfatal PE, and all-cause death at the end of the double-blind intended treatment period. In ADVANCE-3 and ADVANCE-2, the primary endpoint was tested for noninferiority, then superiority, of ELIQUIS to enoxaparin. In ADVANCE-1, the primary endpoint was tested for noninferiority of ELIQUIS to enoxaparin.
The efficacy data are provided in Tables 11 and 12. Table 11: Summary of Key Efficacy Analysis Results During the Intended Treatment Period for Patients Undergoing Elective Hip Replacement Surgery* * Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. † Total VTE includes symptomatic and asymptomatic DVT and PE. ‡ Includes symptomatic and asymptomatic DVT. ADVANCE-3 Events During 35-Day Treatment Period ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid Enoxaparin 40 mg sc qd Relative Risk (95% CI) P-value Number of Patients N=1949 N=1917 Total VTE † /All-cause death 27 (1.39%) 74 (3.86%) 0.36 p<0.0001 Number of Patients N=2708 N=2699 All-cause death 3 (0.11%) 1 (0.04%) PE 3 (0.11%) 5 (0.19%) Symptomatic DVT 1 (0.04%) 5 (0.19%) Number of Patients N=2196 N=2190 Proximal DVT ‡ 7 (0.32%) 20 (0.91%) Number of Patients N=1951 N=1908 Distal DVT ‡ 20 (1.03%) 57 (2.99%) Table 12: Summary of Key Efficacy Analysis Results During the Intended Treatment Period for Patients Undergoing Elective Knee Replacement Surgery* ADVANCE-1 ADVANCE-2 * Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. † Total VTE includes symptomatic and asymptomatic DVT and PE. ‡ Includes symptomatic and asymptomatic DVT. Events during 12-day treatment period ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid Enoxaparin 30 mg sc q12h Relative Risk (95% CI) P-value ELIQUIS 2.5 mg po bid Enoxaparin 40 mg sc qd Relative Risk (95% CI) P-value Number of Patients N=1157 N=1130 N=976 N=997 Total VTE † /All-cause death 104 (8.99%) 100 (8.85%) 1.02 NS 147 (15.06%) 243 (24.37%) 0.62 p<0.0001 Number of Patients N=1599 N=1596 N=1528 N=1529 All-cause death 3 (0.19%) 3 (0.19%) 2 (0.13%) 0 (0%) PE 16 (1.0%) 7 (0.44%) 4 (0.26%) 0 (0%) Symptomatic DVT 3 (0.19%) 7 (0.44%) 3 (0.20%) 7 (0.46%) Number of Patients N=1254 N=1207 N=1192 N=1199 Proximal DVT ‡ 9 (0.72%) 11 (0.91%) 9 (0.76%) 26 (2.17%) Number of Patients N=1146 N=1133 N=978 N=1000 Distal DVT ‡ 83 (7.24%) 91 (8.03%) 142 (14.52%) 239 (23.9%) The efficacy profile of ELIQUIS was generally consistent across subgroups of interest for this indication (e.g., age, gender, race, body weight, renal impairment).
Treatment of
DVT and PE and Reduction in the Risk of Recurrence of DVT and PE Efficacy and safety of ELIQUIS for the treatment of DVT and PE, and for the reduction in the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following 6 to 12 months of anticoagulant treatment was derived from the AMPLIFY and AMPLIFY-EXT studies. Both studies were randomized, parallel-group, double-blind trials in patients with symptomatic proximal DVT and/or symptomatic PE. All key safety and efficacy endpoints were adjudicated in a blinded manner by an independent committee. AMPLIFY The primary objective of AMPLIFY was to determine whether ELIQUIS was noninferior to enoxaparin/warfarin for the incidence of recurrent VTE (venous thromboembolism) or VTE-related death.
Patients with an objectively confirmed symptomatic DVT and/or PE were randomized to treatment with ELIQUIS 10 mg twice daily orally for 7 days followed by ELIQUIS 5 mg twice daily orally for 6 months, or enoxaparin 1 mg/kg twice daily subcutaneously for at least 5 days (until INR ≥2) followed by warfarin (target INR range 2.0-3.0) orally for 6 months. Patients who required thrombectomy, insertion of a caval filter, or use of a fibrinolytic agent, and patients with creatinine clearance <25 mL/min, significant liver disease, an existing heart valve or atrial fibrillation, or active bleeding were excluded from the AMPLIFY study. Patients were allowed to enter the study with or without prior parenteral anticoagulation (up to 48 hours). A total of 5244 patients were evaluable for efficacy and were followed for a mean of 154 days in the ELIQUIS group and 152 days in the enoxaparin/warfarin group.
The mean age was 57 years. The AMPLIFY study population was 59% male, 83% Caucasian, 8% Asian, and 4% Black. For patients randomized to warfarin, the mean percentage of time in therapeutic range (INR 2.0-3.0) was 60.9%. Approximately 90% of patients enrolled in AMPLIFY had an unprovoked DVT or PE at baseline.
The remaining 10% of patients with a provoked DVT or PE were required to have an additional ongoing risk factor in order to be randomized, which included previous episode of DVT or PE, immobilization, history of cancer, active cancer, and known prothrombotic genotype. ELIQUIS was shown to be noninferior to enoxaparin/warfarin in the AMPLIFY study for the primary endpoint of recurrent symptomatic VTE (nonfatal DVT or nonfatal PE) or VTE-related death over 6 months of therapy (Table 13). Table 13: Efficacy Results in the AMPLIFY Study ELIQUIS N=2609 n Enoxaparin/Warfarin N=2635 n Relative Risk (95% CI) * Noninferior compared to enoxaparin/warfarin (P-value <0.0001). † Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. VTE or VTE-related death* 59 (2.3%) 71 (2.7%) 0.84 DVT † 22 (0.8%) 35 (1.3%) PE † 27 (1.0%) 25 (0.9%) VTE-related death † 12 (0.4%) 16 (0.6%) VTE or all-cause death 84 (3.2%) 104 (4.0%) 0.82 VTE or CV-related death 61 (2.3%) 77 (2.9%) 0.80 In the AMPLIFY study, patients were stratified according to their index event of PE (with or without DVT) or DVT (without PE). Efficacy in the initial treatment of VTE was consistent between the two subgroups.
AMPLIFY-EXT Patients who had been treated for DVT and/or PE for 6 to 12 months with anticoagulant therapy without having a recurrent event were randomized to treatment with ELIQUIS 2.5 mg orally twice daily, ELIQUIS 5 mg orally twice daily, or placebo for 12 months. Approximately one-third of patients participated in the AMPLIFY study prior to enrollment in the AMPLIFY-EXT study. A total of 2482 patients were randomized to study treatment and were followed for a mean of approximately 330 days in the ELIQUIS group and 312 days in the placebo group.
The mean age in the AMPLIFY-EXT study was 57 years. The study population was 57% male, 85% Caucasian, 5% Asian, and 3% Black. The AMPLIFY-EXT study enrolled patients with either an unprovoked DVT or PE at baseline (approximately 92%) or patients with a provoked baseline event and one additional risk factor for recurrence (approximately 8%). However, patients who had experienced multiple episodes of unprovoked DVT or PE were excluded from the AMPLIFY-EXT study.
In the AMPLIFY-EXT study, both doses of ELIQUIS were superior to placebo in the primary endpoint of symptomatic, recurrent VTE (nonfatal DVT or nonfatal PE), or all-cause death (Table 14). Table 14: Efficacy Results in the AMPLIFY-EXT Study Relative Risk (95% CI) ELIQUIS 2.5 mg bid N=840 ELIQUIS 5 mg bid N=813 Placebo N=829 ELIQUIS 2.5 mg bid vs Placebo ELIQUIS 5 mg bid vs Placebo * Patients with more than one event are counted in multiple rows. n (%) Recurrent VTE or all-cause death 32 34 96 0.33 p<0.0001 0.36 p<0.0001 DVT* 19 28 72 PE* 23 25 37 All-cause death 22 25 33
Drug information sourced from the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making any medication decisions.
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