Lifestyle, fibrinolysis and lipids

Darexaban (YM150) prevents venous thromboembolism in Japanese patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: Phase III randomized, mechanical prophylaxis-controlled, open-label study

INTRODUCTION

Darexaban (YM150) is an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor in clinical development for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major orthopaedic surgery. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of darexaban 15 mg twice daily (bid) in Japanese patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a Phase III, multicentre, randomized, open-label, mechanical prophylaxis-controlled, parallel-group study, adult patients (aged ≥ 40 years) were randomized to darexaban 15 mg bid or mechanical prophylaxis, for 28 days. The primary efficacy outcome was incidence of total VTE at Day 12. Adverse events (AEs) and bleeding events were recorded throughout the study.

RESULTS

The total VTE incidence at Day 12 was 2.6% in the darexaban 15 mg bid group (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32, 9.07), compared with 15.0% (95% CI: 5.71, 29.84) in the mechanical prophylaxis group. During the investigational period, the incidence of all bleeding events was 9.5% in the darexaban 15 mg bid group and 3.9% in the mechanical prophylaxis group. In the darexaban 15 mg bid group, one patient experienced major bleeding and five patients experienced clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding. No patients in the mechanical prophylaxis group experienced major and/or CRNM bleeding. AEs were reported in 71.4% of patients in the darexaban 15mg bid group and 76.5% of patients in the mechanical prophylaxis group; the most frequent AEs across both treatment groups were constipation and insomnia. No patients died during the study.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these findings, darexaban is expected to be effective for the prevention of VTE in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. (

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT00942435).

Incidence of venous thromboembolism following major abdominal surgery: a multi-center, prospective epidemiological study in Japan

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been considered to be a rare surgical complication in Japan.

AIM

To investigate the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Japanese patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

METHODS

A prospective, multi-center epidemiological study was conducted from December, 2001 to August 2002 in 39 medical institutes throughout Japan. A total of 173 patients with general (n = 128), gynecologic (n = 23), and urologic (n = 22) surgery were analyzed. For the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), bilateral venography was performed in all patients. Lung ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy was carried out in patients suspected of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

RESULTS

There were 36 patients with distal DVT (20.8%) and five patients with proximal DVT (2.9%). One patient was diagnosed as PTE. Overall, VTE was diagnosed in 42 patients (24.3%). By univariate analysis, only age (60 years or older) was identified as a significant risk factor in the whole study population. When analyzed by the stepwise multiple logistic regression model, female gender, operation site, age, and operation time were four risk factors found to be significant. The incidence of VTE was closely related to the number of risk factors that patients had. As many as 44% of patients with three or four risk factors developed VTE while those with one or two risk factors showed about a 17% incidence of VTE. Four patients lacking any risk factors did not develop VTE.

CONCLUSIONS

Venous thromboembolism is common in Japanese patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis is considered essential, particularly in those patients with multiple, potential risk factors.