Table of Contents
I. Eliquis and nonvalvular AFib
III. Is Eliquis right for you?
Eliquis (apixaban) is effective at treating and preventing blood clots. It's also effective at preventing stroke in people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, or nonvalvular AFib for short.
According to DailyMed, a website operated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Eliquis' efficacy and safety has been proven and analyzed in at least seven clinical studies. [1]
Can Eliquis treat Nonvalvular AFib?
A multinational, double-blind study called ARISTOTLE examined Eliquis' ability to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in people with nonvalvular AFib compared to that of warfarin. A total of 18,201 patients were randomized and followed over the course of the study.
The study aimed to determine whether a twice-daily Eliquis 5 mg was as effective as warfarin at preventing stroke and systemic embolism in people with nonvalvular AFib, as well as whether Eliquis was less likely to result in major bleeding or death from any cause.
After the study, researchers found that Eliquis was superior to warfarin at preventing stroke and systemic embolism. Of patients that took Eliquis, 212 experienced either a stroke (199 patients) or system embolism (15 patients) over a median time period of 89 weeks.
By comparison, of patients that took warfarin, 265 experienced either a stroke (250 patients) or systemic embolism (17 patients) over the same median time period.
What's more, Eliquis also showed significantly fewer instances of either major bleeding or death from any cause than warfarin. The study also found that the time to first stroke or systemic embolism was about 24 months with Eliquis. With warfarin, that time was reduced to about 17 months. The efficacy of Eliquis was generally not affected by weight, predicted risk of stroke, prior warfarin use, renal (kidney) impairment, geographic region or randomized aspirin use. Three double-blind, multinational studies called ADVANCE-1, ADVANCE-2 and ADVANCE-3 aimed to determine Eliquis' efficacy for preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), nonfatal pulmonary embolism (PE) or death of any cause after hip or knee replacement surgery. Across all three studies, 11,569 patients were randomized and followed. In the ADVANCE-3 study, 5,407 patients undergoing elective hip replacement surgery were either given a twice-daily 2.5mg dose of Eliquis or a once-daily 40 mg dose of enoxaparin delivered subcutaneously. Eliquis was administered 12 to 14 hours after surgery, and enoxaparin was administered nine to 15 hours before surgery. Treatment duration ranged from 32 to 38 days. [2] In the ADVANCE-2 study, 3,057 patients undergoing elective knee replacement surgery were given either twice-daily 2.5mg doses of Eliquis or a once-daily 40mg dose of enoxaparin delivered subcutaneously. Eliquis was given 12 to 24 hours after surgery, and enoxaparin was given 9 to 15 hours before surgery. Treatment duration ranged from 10 to 14 days. In the ADVANCE-1 study, 3,195 patients undergoing elective knee replacement surgery were given either twice-daily 2.5mg doses of Eliquis or 30mg doses of enoxaparin delivered subcutaneously every 12 hours. Both Eliquis and enoxaparin were administered 12 to 24 hours after surgery. Treatment duration ranged from 10 to 14 days. Two of the three studies, ADVANCE-3 and ADVANCE-2, found that Eliquis resulted in fewer instances of DVT, nonfatal PE or death of any cause than enoxaparin. In ADVANCE-3, 1.39 percent of patients taking an Eliquis dosage experienced one of those events, compared to 3.86 percent of patients taking enoxaparin. In ADVANCE-2, 15.06 percent of patients taking Eliquis experienced one of those events, compared to 24.37 percent of patients taking enoxaparin. The exception was ADVANCE-1, in which 8.99 percent of patients taking Eliquis experienced one of those events, compared to 8.85 percent of patients taking enoxaparin. [2] The efficacy of Eliquis was generally not affected by race, age, gender, body weight or renal (kidney) impairment. As with all medications, it's imperative that you talk to your doctor to find out if Eliquis is right for you. Patients should not take Eliquis if they: When discussing Eliquis with your doctor, be sure to tell them if you: If your doctor does decide that Eliquis is right for you, you can save money on your prescription by purchasing it from a reputable online Canadian pharmacy or pharmacy referral service. If you would like to find out more about Eliquis, including information on the history of apixaban, the shelf life of Eliquis, and any cheaper alternatives available, visit our Eliquis blog today. DISCLAIMER: The information in the article is not meant to be used for treatment or diagnosis. It is designed for general awareness and for information purposes only. Always consult a medical professional for your specific healthcare needs.
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