Comparison of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran with enoxaparin as prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism after total knee replacement - A phase 2 dose-finding study
Ja. Heit et al., Comparison of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran with enoxaparin as prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism after total knee replacement - A phase 2 dose-finding study, ARCH IN MED, 161(18), 2001, pp. 2215-2221
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: Up to one third of patients who undergo total knee replacement
develop deep vein thrombosis after surgery despite receiving low-molecular-
weight heparin prophylaxis. Ximelagatran is a novel direct inhibitor of fre
e and clot-bound thrombin.
Methods: We performed a randomized, parallel, dose-finding study of 600 adu
lts undergoing elective total knee replacement at 68 North American hospita
ls to determine the optimum dose of ximelagatran to use as prophylaxis agai
nst venous thromboembolism after total knee replacement. Patients received
either ximelagatran twice daily by mouth in blinded fixed doses of 8, 12, 1
8, or 24 mg or open-label enoxaparin sodium, 30 mg, subcutaneously twice da
ily, starting 12 to 24 hours after surgery and continuing for 6 to 12 days.
We measured the 6- to 12-day cumulative incidence of symptomatic or venogr
aphic deep vein thrombosis, symptomatic pulmonary embolism, and bleeding.
Results: A total of 594 patients received at least I dose of the study drug
; 443 patients were evaluable for efficacy. Rates of overall venous thrombo
embolism (and proximal deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) for the
8-, 12-, 18-, and 24-mg doses of ximelagatran were 27% (6.6%), 19.8% (2.0%)
, 28.7% (5.8%), and 15.8% (3.2%), respectively. Rates of overall venous thr
omboembolism (22.7%) and proximal deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolis
m (3.1%) for enoxaparin did not differ significantly compared with 24-mg xi
melagatran (overall difference, -6.9%; 95% confidence interval, -18.0% to 4
.2%; P=.3). There was no major bleeding with administration of 24 mg of xim
elagatran twice daily.
Conclusion: Fixed-dose, unmonitored ximelagatran, 24 mg twice daily, given
after surgery appears to be safe and effective oral prophylaxis against ven
ous thromboembolism after total knee replacement.