Early Versus Late Initiation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Post-ischaemic Stroke Patients With Atrial fibrillatioN (ELAN): an International, Multicentre, Randomised-controlled, Two-arm, Assessor-blinded Trial

Summary

When to start anticoagulation in patients with an acute ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation (AF) is a relevant unanswered question in clinical practice. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are highly effective for secondary stroke prevention in these patients, but DOACs were never initiated \<7 days after stroke onset in recent trials. The ELAN trial will determine the net benefit of early versus late initiation of DOACs in patients with acute ischaemic stroke related to AF. The main objective is to estimate the net benefit of early versus late initiation of DOACs in patients with acute ischaemic stroke related to AF. The secondary objectives are to assess all vascular events and all-cause mortality after early initiation of DOACs in patients with acute ischaemic stroke related to AF compared to late initiation.

Timeline

Start

2017-11-06

Primary completion

2022-12-21

Completion

2023-05-24

Publications

• Yoshimoto T, Ihara M, Sylaja PN, Rossel JB, Fujimoto S, Iguchi Y, Parthasarthy R, Pamidimukkala V, Yakushiji Y, Iype T, Nakajima M, Khurana D, Nambiar V, Akiyama H, Toyoda K, Alonso A, Poli S, Kulyk C, Caracciolo NG, Hemelsoet D, Nunes AP, Pandian JD, Dawson J, Fischer U, Koga M. Outcomes of Early Versus Later Anticoagulation in Asian Atrial Fibrillation-Related Stroke: ELAN Subgroup Analysis. J Stroke. 2026 May;28(2):293-302. doi: 10.5853/jos.2025.05848. Epub 2026 May 28.
• Polymeris AA, Rossel JB, Koga M, Strbian D, Vedamurthy A, Krishnan M, Branca M, Meinel T, Kristoffersen ES, Yoshimoto T, Tanaka K, Kunieda T, Yakushiji Y, Vehoff J, Matsuzono K, Slade P, Demeestere J, Salerno A, Caracciolo NG, Hemelsoet D, Engelter ST, Auer E, Horvath T, Seiffge DJ, Goeldlin M, Dawson J, Fischer U. Once- versus twice-daily direct oral anticoagulants after ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation - A post-hoc analysis of the ELAN trial. Eur Stroke J. 2026 Jan 1;11(1):23969873251360974. doi: 10.1093/esj/23969873251360974.
• Polymeris AA, Rossel JB, Koga M, Strbian D, Vedamurthy A, Krishnan M, Branca M, Meinel T, Kristoffersen ES, Yoshimoto T, Tanaka K, Kunieda T, Yakushiji Y, Vehoff J, Matsuzono K, Slade P, Demeestere J, Salerno A, Caracciolo NG, Hemelsoet D, Engelter ST, Auer E, Horvath T, Seiffge DJ, Goeldlin M, Dawson J, Fischer U; ELAN Investigators. Once- versus twice-daily direct oral anticoagulants after ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation - A post-hoc analysis of the ELAN trial. Eur Stroke J. 2025 Aug 11:23969873251360974. doi: 10.1177/23969873251360974. Online ahead of print.
• Wouters A, Demeestere J, Rossel JB, Devroye A, Desfontaines P, Vanacker P, Hemelsoet D, Yperzeele L, Rutgers MP, Peeters A, Vynckier J, Yoshimoto T, Tanaka K, Vehoff J, Matsuzono K, Kulyk C, Sibolt G, Slade P, Salerno A, Kunieda T, Hakim A, Rohner R, Abend S, Goeldlin M, Dawson J, Fischer U, Lemmens R; ELAN Investigators. Prior Reperfusion Strategy Does Not Modify Outcome in Early Versus Late Start of Anticoagulants in Patients With Ischemic Stroke: Prespecified Subanalysis of the Randomized Controlled ELAN Trial. Stroke. 2025 Aug;56(8):2000-2008. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.125.050646. Epub 2025 May 22.
• Kneihsl M, Hakim A, Goeldlin MB, Branca M, Fenzl S, Abend S, Gattringer T, Enzinger C, Dawson J, Gesierich B, Kopczak A, Hack RJ, Cerfontaine MN, Rutten JW, Lesnik Oberstein SAJ, Pasi M, Fischer U, Duering M, Meinel TR. Topographic Localization of Chronic Cerebellar Ischemic Lesions: Implications for Underlying Cause. Stroke. 2025 Jul;56(7):1823-1831. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.124.049337. Epub 2025 Apr 3.
• Polymeris AA, Branca M, Sylaja PN, Sandset EC, de Sousa DA, Thomalla G, Paciaroni M, Gattringer T, Strbian D, Trelle S, Michel P, Nedeltchev K, Bonati LH, Ntaios G, Koga M, Gdovinova Z, Lemmens R, Bornstein NM, Kelly P, Goeldlin MB, Abend S, Selim M, Katan M, Horvath T, Dawson J, Fischer U; ELAN Investigators. Net Benefit of Early Anticoagulation for Stroke With Atrial Fibrillation: Post Hoc Analysis of the ELAN Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 2;8(1):e2456307. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.56307.
• Kneihsl M, Hakim A, Goeldlin MB, Meinel TR, Branca M, Rohner R, Fenzl S, Abend S, Shim GC, Gumbinger C, Zhang L, Kristoffersen ES, Desfontaines P, Vanacker P, Alonso A, Poli S, Nunes AP, Caracciolo NG, Gattringer T, Kahles T, Giudici D, Demeestere J, Dawson J, Fischer U; ELAN investigators. Early vs Late Anticoagulation After Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Covert Brain Infarcts. Neurology. 2025 Jan 14;104(1):e210157. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000210157. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
• Goeldlin MB, Hakim A, Branca M, Abend S, Kneihsl M, Valenzuela Pinilla W, Fenzl S, Rezny-Kasprzak B, Rohner R, Strbian D, Paciaroni M, Thomalla G, Michel P, Nedeltchev K, Gattringer T, Sandset EC, Bonati L, Aguiar de Sousa D, Sylaja PN, Ntaios G, Koga M, Gdovinova Z, Lemmens R, Bornstein NM, Kelly P, Katan M, Horvath T, Dawson J, Fischer U; ELAN Investigators. Early vs Late Anticoagulation in Minor, Moderate, and Major Ischemic Stroke With Atrial Fibrillation: Post Hoc Analysis of the ELAN Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2024 Jul 1;81(7):693-702. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.1450.
• Rohner R, Kneihsl M, Goeldlin MB, Hakim A, Branca M, Abend S, Valenzuela Pinilla W, Fenzl S, Rezny-Kasprzak B, Strbian D, Trelle S, Paciaroni M, Thomalla G, Michel P, Nedeltchev K, Gattringer T, Sandset EC, Bonati L, Aguiar de Sousa D, Sylaja PN, Ntaios G, Koga M, Gdovinova Z, Lemmens R, Bornstein NM, Kelly P, Katan M, Horvath T, Dawson J, Fischer U; ELAN Investigators. Early Versus Late Initiation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants After Ischemic Stroke in People With Atrial Fibrillation and Hemorrhagic Transformation: Prespecified Subanalysis of the Randomized Controlled ELAN Trial. Circulation. 2024 Jul 2;150(1):19-29. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069324. Epub 2024 May 16.
• Fischer U, Koga M, Strbian D, Branca M, Abend S, Trelle S, Paciaroni M, Thomalla G, Michel P, Nedeltchev K, Bonati LH, Ntaios G, Gattringer T, Sandset EC, Kelly P, Lemmens R, Sylaja PN, Aguiar de Sousa D, Bornstein NM, Gdovinova Z, Yoshimoto T, Tiainen M, Thomas H, Krishnan M, Shim GC, Gumbinger C, Vehoff J, Zhang L, Matsuzono K, Kristoffersen E, Desfontaines P, Vanacker P, Alonso A, Yakushiji Y, Kulyk C, Hemelsoet D, Poli S, Paiva Nunes A, Caracciolo N, Slade P, Demeestere J, Salerno A, Kneihsl M, Kahles T, Giudici D, Tanaka K, Raty S, Hidalgo R, Werring DJ, Goldlin M, Arnold M, Ferrari C, Beyeler S, Fung C, Weder BJ, Tatlisumak T, Fenzl S, Rezny-Kasprzak B, Hakim A, Salanti G, Bassetti C, Gralla J, Seiffge DJ, Horvath T, Dawson J; ELAN Investigators. Early versus Later Anticoagulation for Stroke with Atrial Fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jun 29;388(26):2411-2421. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2303048. Epub 2023 May 24.

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Indications