BMS and Pfizer announce new data for Eliquis (apixaban)

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer have announced results from a post-hoc early time course subanalysis of the Phase 3 AMPLIFY trial of Eliquis (apixaban).

The subanalysis demonstrated Eliquis was comparable to conventional therapy in recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and VTE-related death with significantly less major bleeding during the first 7, 21 and 90 days after starting treatment.

Eliquis (apixaban) is an oral selective Factor Xa inhibitor. By inhibiting Factor Xa, a key blood clotting protein, Eliquis decreases thrombin generation and blood clot formation.

“For the millions of patients worldwide who experience VTE, the risks of recurrence and major bleeding are highest during the first few weeks of anticoagulant therapy,” said Giancarlo Agnelli, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Perugia, Italy, Director of the Department of Internal and Cardiovascular Medicine and Stroke-Unit at the University Hospital in Perugia. “These findings indicate that the favorable benefit-to-risk profile of Eliquis was demonstrated early during treatment for VTE, including the use of a higher Eliquis dose of 10 mg twice daily for the initial seven days.”

Eliquis non-inferior to conventional therapy at each time point analysed

The results of the subanalyses at each pre-specified time interval were consistent with the overall results of the AMPLIFY trial at 6 months, which demonstrated non-inferiority of Eliquis versus conventional therapy in the primary efficacy endpoint of recurrent VTE and VTE-related death, and superiority in the primary safety endpoint by showing significantly fewer major bleeding events, with a 69% relative risk reduction (RRR) compared to conventional therapy.

In this post-hoc early time course subanalysis, recurrent VTE and VTE-related death at 7, 21, and 90 days after starting treatment occurred in 18 (0.7%), 29 (1.1%), and 46 (1.8%), patients who were given Eliquis, respectively, and in 23 (0.9%), 35 (1.3%), and 58 (2.2%) patients given conventional therapy, respectively. Outcomes at each time point were similar in patients by index event (deep vein thrombosis (DVT) alone or pulmonary embolism (PE) with or without DVT) and were consistent with the results for the entire study period. Major bleeding at the corresponding time points occurred in 3 (0.1%), 5 (0.2%), and 11 (0.4%) patients, who received Eliquis, respectively, and in 16 (0.6%), 26 (1.0%), and 38 (1.4%) patients given conventional therapy, respectively. Eliquis was non-inferior to conventional therapy in recurrent VTE and VTE-related death at each time point analysed, with no excess of early recurrences; and patients treated with Eliquis were less likely to have major bleeding early in the course of treatment than those treated with conventional therapy.