Apixaban After Anticoagulation-associated Intracerebral Haemorrhage in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Summary

There is a marked lack of evidence on the optimal prevention of ischaemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and a recent intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) during treatment with oral anticoagulation. These patients are currently treated with vitamin K antagonists, DOACs, antiplatelet drugs, or no antithrombotic treatment, depending on personal and institutional preferences. Treatment with a direct oral anticoagulant like apixaban might be an attractive alternative in terms of a low risk of recurrent ICH, while at the same time being effective for the prevention of ischaemic stroke. This study aims to obtain reliable estimates of the rates of vascular death or non-fatal stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and a recent anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage who are treated with apixaban versus those who are treated with antiplatelet drugs or no antithrombotic drug at all. This study has a multi-centre, phase II, randomised, open-label clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment design.

Timeline

Start

2014-09

Primary completion

2021-01-31

Completion

2021-01-31

Publications

• Cochrane A, Chen C, Stephen J, Ronning OM, Anderson CS, Hankey GJ, Al-Shahi Salman R. Antithrombotic treatment after stroke due to intracerebral haemorrhage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Jan 26;1(1):CD012144. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012144.pub3.
• Schreuder FHBM, van Nieuwenhuizen KM, Hofmeijer J, Vermeer SE, Kerkhoff H, Zock E, Luijckx GJ, Messchendorp GP, van Tuijl J, Bienfait HP, Booij SJ, van den Wijngaard IR, Remmers MJM, Schreuder AHCML, Dippel DW, Staals J, Brouwers PJAM, Wermer MJH, Coutinho JM, Kwa VIH, van Gelder IC, Schutgens REG, Zweedijk B, Algra A, van Dalen JW, Jaap Kappelle L, Rinkel GJE, van der Worp HB, Klijn CJM; APACHE-AF Trial Investigators. Apixaban versus no anticoagulation after anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation in the Netherlands (APACHE-AF): a randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol. 2021 Nov;20(11):907-916. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00298-2.
• Li L, Poon MTC, Samarasekera NE, Perry LA, Moullaali TJ, Rodrigues MA, Loan JJM, Stephen J, Lerpiniere C, Tuna MA, Gutnikov SA, Kuker W, Silver LE, Al-Shahi Salman R, Rothwell PM. Risks of recurrent stroke and all serious vascular events after spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage: pooled analyses of two population-based studies. Lancet Neurol. 2021 Jun;20(6):437-447. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00075-2.

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Indications