Post-operative complications after total hip or knee replacement can delay recovery, prolong hospitalisation, increase rates of re-admission and, in the most severe cases, lead to long-term disability or even death. In this analysis of pooled data from four large, randomised, phase III clinical trials that compared the oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban with subcutaneous enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement (n = 12 729), the incidence of complications, including bleeding and adverse events related to surgery (such as wound infection, wound dehiscence and haemarthrosis) are reported. Interventions and procedures relating to surgery are also compared between the groups. Bleeding events, including excessive wound haematoma and surgical-site bleeding, occurred at similar rates in the rivaroxaban and enoxaparin groups. Over the total study duration, adverse surgical events occurred at a similar rate in the rivaroxaban group compared with the enoxaparin group after total knee replacement (2.26% vs 2.69%, respectively) and total hip replacement (1.48% vs 1.65%, respectively). Blood loss, wound drainage and transfusion requirements were also similar between the two groups.

This analysis shows that the incidence of adverse surgical events with rivaroxaban was similar to enoxaparin.

Introduction: Four randomized, double-blind, phase III studies (RECORD1–4) investigated the oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after major orthopaedic surgery. Patients (N=12,729) were randomized to receive oral rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily or subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg once daily (RECORD1–3), or 30 mg twice daily (RECORD4). In RECORD1 and 2, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty received rivaroxaban for 31–39 days. Enoxaparin was given for 31–39 days in RECORD1, 10–14 days followed by placebo in RECORD2. In RECORD3 and 4, patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty received prophylaxis for 10–14 days. After prophylaxis, all patients were followed up for a further 30–35 days. Rivaroxaban significantly reduced the incidence of the primary efficacy outcome for the individual studies (total VTE; composite of any deep vein thrombosis, non-fatal pulmonary embolism [PE] and all-cause mortality) compared with the enoxaparin regimens, with similar rates of major bleeding.

Methods: A pre-specified pooled analysis of all four trials was performed on all randomized patients who received at least one dose of double-blind study medication to evaluate the effect of rivaroxaban on the composite of symptomatic VTE and all-cause mortality (primary outcome for pooled analysis), and bleeding. This outcome was analysed at day 12±2 in the active treatment pool (enoxaparin-controlled in all studies) and in the total study duration pool (including follow-up after treatment).

Results: Rivaroxaban significantly reduced the incidence vs enoxaparin of the composite of symptomatic VTE and death (day 12±2: 0.47% vs 0.97%, respectively, p=0.001; total study duration: 0.81% vs 1.6%, respectively, p< 0.001) and the composite of PE and death (day 12±2: 0.19% vs 0.39%, respectively, p=0.049; total study duration: 0.47% vs 0.76%, respectively, p=0.039). The rates of major bleeding with the rivaroxaban and enoxaparin regimens were 0.34% and 0.21%, respectively, p=0.175 at day 12±2 and at total study duration were 0.44% and 0.27%, respectively, p=0.135. Rivaroxaban also reduced the composite of death, infarction, stroke, symptomatic VTE and major bleeding vs enoxaparin (total study duration: 1.6% vs 2.2%, respectively, p=0.006).

Conclusion: Rivaroxaban reduced the composites of major clinical outcomes compared with enoxaparin regimens, with similar rates of major bleeding, in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery.

Introduction: Four randomized, double-blind phase III studies (RECORD1–4) investigated the oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after elective total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA). Patients (N=12,729) were randomized to receive oral rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily, or subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg once daily (RECORD1–3), or 30 mg twice daily (RECORD4). Those undergoing THA received rivaroxaban or enoxaparin for 31–39 days in RECORD1, and rivaroxaban for 31–39 days or enoxaparin for 10–14 days followed by placebo in RECORD2. In RECORD3 and 4 (TKA), prophylaxis was for 10–14 days.

Methods: A prespecified pooled analysis of all four studies evaluated the effect of rivaroxaban on the composite of symptomatic VTE and all-cause mortality, and bleeding, relative to enoxaparin. The present subgroup analysis investigated potential drug–drug interactions with concomitant non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) – commonly used pain medications known to affect bleeding risk. The risk of on-treatment bleeding in the total study duration pool of all four RECORD studies was investigated. These prespecified analyses focused on on-treatment, adjudicated bleeding events, any bleeding, and the composite of major bleeding and clinically relevant non-major bleeding – after the first tablet intake (rivaroxaban or matching placebo). Co-medication use was evaluated over time. Relative bleeding rates with and without co-medication were calculated separately for the rivaroxaban and enoxaparin/placebo groups. Time after surgery (day of surgery was day 1) was stratified into three periods (days 1–3, days 4–7 and day 7 up to 2 days after the last dose), based on the decreasing risk with time of a first bleeding event after surgery and because prevalence of co-medication use can vary over time. Bleeding rates were recorded for each time period over the at-risk period (the day of surgery until the last day of double-blind study medication intake +2 days or until initial event onset). The ratio of the bleeding rate for co-medication exposed vs unexposed patient-days in the rivaroxaban group was compared with the corresponding rate ratio for the enoxaparin/placebo group for bleeding events (Mantel–Haenszel methods).

Results: Concomitant use of ASA in the rivaroxaban groups showed rate ratios similar to those in the enoxaparin/placebo group (1.32 and 1.40, respectively, for any bleeding). Rate ratios were also similar with concomitant use of NSAIDs (1.22 in both groups, for any bleeding).

Conclusion: In the RECORD1–4 subanalysis, there was no indication of increased bleeding associated with the use of these co-medications in patients taking rivaroxaban, compared with enoxaparin.

A once-daily dose of rivaroxaban 10 mg, an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor, was compared with enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously once daily for prevention of venous thromboembolism in three studies of patients undergoing elective hip and knee replacement (RECORD programme).

A pooled analysis of data from these studies (n = 9581) showed that rivaroxaban was more effective than enoxaparin in reducing the incidence of the composite of symptomatic venous thromboembolism and all-cause mortality at two weeks (0.4% vs 0.8%, respectively, odds ratio 0.44; 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 0.79; p = 0.005), and at the end of the planned medication period (0.5% vs 1.3%, respectively; odds ratio 0.38; 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 0.62; p < 0.001). The rate of major bleeding was similar at two weeks (0.2% for both) and at the end of the planned medication period (0.3% vs 0.2%).

Rivaroxaban started six to eight hours after surgery was more effective than enoxaparin started the previous evening in preventing symptomatic venous thromboembolism and all-cause mortality, without increasing major bleeding.

Rivaroxaban is an oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor in clinical development for the prevention of VTE after major orthopaedic surgery. Data from three phase II trials of twice-daily (bid) rivaroxaban in patients undergoing elective, total hip or knee replacement were pooled to determine whether age, gender or weight affected the efficacy or safety of rivaroxaban, and thus whether dose adjustment would be necessary. Patients received 5–9 days of oral rivaroxaban (2.5–30 mg bid, post-operatively), or s.c. enoxaparin. A logistic regression model using total daily dose of rivaroxaban as a covariate, and adjusted for differences between dose groups with respect to study, age and gender, was used to estimate rates of the primary efficacy endpoint (DVT, PE or all-cause mortality; n=1380 intention-to-treat patients) and clinically relevant bleeding (major and non-major clinically relevant bleeding; safety population, n=1854). Rivaroxaban at total daily doses of 5–20 mg had similar efficacy and safety to enoxaparin. Overall, logistic regression showed a positive dose–response relationship with rivaroxaban for clinically relevant bleeding (p< 0.001), and a flat relationship for the primary efficacy endpoint (p=0.115). The risk of VTE increased with age – the efficacy endpoint was estimated to occur in 17.3–9.4%, 18.7–17.3% and 26.6–20.2% of patients aged < 60 yrs, 60–70 yrs and > 70 yrs receiving rivaroxaban (total daily dose 5–60 mg), respectively, in separate regression models. Age was also prognostic for clinically relevant bleeding with rates of 1.4–12.0% (< 60 yrs), 2.7–15.4% (60–70 yrs) and 5.7–15.4% (> 70 yrs). The rates are for a population distributed equally across the studies and genders. Incidences of the efficacy endpoint were higher in females (25.8–20.5%) than males (16.6–10.7%), while clinically relevant bleeding occurred more frequently in males (5.4–16.3%) than in females (1.7–11.6%), after adjustment for age. Weight was not prognostic for the efficacy endpoint or clinically relevant bleeding (p=0.87 and p=0.48, respectively, after adjustment for age, gender and study), nor did it modify the dose–response relationships with rivaroxaban. Incidences of the efficacy endpoint for a population of equal study and gender distribution and of mean patient age were 23.4–15.7% and 19.1–14.6% in patients weighing < 65 kg and ≥90 kg, respectively, with corresponding bleeding rates of 3.3–16.5% and 3.2–17.5%. This analysis indicates that age, gender or weight did not affect the dose–response relationships (or lack thereof) between rivaroxaban and the primary efficacy endpoint or clinically relevant bleeding. As expected, age was prognostic for VTE and bleeding. These findings suggest that rivaroxaban may not require dose adjustment for age, gender or weight in orthopaedic patients.

Purpose: Thromboembolic events, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), are a serious risk after major orthopaedic surgery. BAY 59-7939 is a novel, oral, direct Factor Xa inhibitor in clinical development for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders. The efficacy and safety of BAY 59-7939 for thromboprophylaxis have been determined relative to enoxaparin in two clinical trials, one after elective total hip replacement surgery, and one after elective total knee replacement surgery. This pre-specified analysis combines data from two multicenter, multinational, double-blind, dose-ranging studies; the hip surgery trial was performed in Europe, and the knee surgery trial in North America.

Methods: Patients (N=1343) were randomized to oral BAY 59-7939 at 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 30 mg twice daily (bid), or subcutaneous enoxaparin (40 mg once daily starting 12 hours before hip surgery, or 30 mg bid starting 12 hours after knee surgery), continuing until mandatory bilateral venography was performed 5–9 days after surgery. The primary efficacy endpoint was a composite of DVT, PE, and all-cause mortality. The primary safety endpoint was major, post-operative bleeding.

Results: The primary efficacy endpoint occurred in 21.6%, 22.9%, 16.1%, 24.4%, and 19.3% of patients receiving BAY 59-7939 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg bid, respectively, and 27.8% receiving enoxaparin (n=914). No significant dose–response relationship for efficacy was observed with BAY 59-7939 (P=0.39); this was potentially due to the efficacy achieved with the lower BAY 59-7939 doses. A significant dose–response relationship was observed for major, post-operative bleeding with BAY 59-7939 (P< 0.001), which occurred in 0.9%, 1.3%, 2.1%, 3.9%, and 7.0% of patients receiving BAY 59-7939 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg bid, respectively, and 1.7% of patients receiving enoxaparin (n=1317).

Conclusions: This analysis showed that BAY 59-7939 has a wide therapeutic window for the prevention of VTE following major orthopaedic surgery, and, at doses of 2.5–10 mg bid, has similar efficacy and safety to the enoxaparin regimens.

Funding : Commerical funding

Funding Parties : This study was sponsored by Bayer HealthCare AG