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Clinical Trial
. 2021 Sep;8(9):e627-e636.
doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(21)00203-9. Epub 2021 Aug 4.

Early switch to oral anticoagulation in patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PEITHO-2): a multinational, multicentre, single-arm, phase 4 trial

Collaborators, Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Early switch to oral anticoagulation in patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PEITHO-2): a multinational, multicentre, single-arm, phase 4 trial

Frederikus A Klok et al. Lancet Haematol. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Current guidelines recommend a risk-adjusted treatment strategy for the management of acute pulmonary embolism. This is a particular patient category for whom optimal treatment (anticoagulant treatment, reperfusion strategies, and duration of hospitalisation) is currently unknown. We investigated whether treatment of acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism with parenteral anticoagulation for a short period of 72 h, followed by a switch to a direct oral anticoagulant (dabigatran), is effective and safe.

Methods: We did a multinational, multicentre, single-arm, phase 4 trial at 42 hospitals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain. Adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with symptomatic intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism, with or without deep-vein thrombosis, were enrolled. Patients received parenteral low-molecular-weight or unfractionated heparin for 72 h after diagnosis of pulmonary embolism before switching to oral dabigatran 150 mg twice per day following a standard clinical assessment. The primary outcome was recurrent symptomatic venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism-related death within 6 months. The primary and safety outcomes were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The study was terminated early, as advised by the data safety and monitoring board, following sample size adaptation after the predefined interim analysis on Dec 18, 2018. This trial is registered with the EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT 2015-001830-12) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02596555).

Findings: Between Jan 1, 2016, and July 31, 2019, 1418 patients with pulmonary embolism were screened, of whom 402 were enrolled and were included in the intention-to-treat analysis (median age was 69·5 years [IQR 60·0-78·0); 192 [48%] were women and 210 [52%] were men). Median follow-up was 217 days (IQR 210-224) and 370 (92%) patients adhered to the protocol. The primary outcome occurred in seven (2% [upper bound of right-sided 95% CI 3]; p<0·0001 for rejecting the null hypothesis) patients, with all events occurring in those with intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism (seven [3%; upper bound of right-sided 95% CI 5] of 283). At 6 months, 11 (3% [95% CI 1-5]) of 402 patients had at least one major bleeding event and 16 (4% [2-6]) had at least one clinically relevant non-major bleeding event; the only fatal haemorrhage occurred in one (<1%) patient before the switch to dabigatran.

Interpretation: A strategy of early switch from heparin to dabigatran following standard clinical assessment was effective and safe in patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. Our results can help to refine guideline recommendations for the initial treatment of acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism, optimising the use of resources and avoiding extended hospitalisation.

Funding: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, University Medical Center Mainz, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests FAK reports research grants from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Actelion, the Dutch Heart foundation, and the Dutch Thrombosis Association, all outside the submitted work. SB reports congress and travel payments from Daiichi Sankyo and Bayer; honoraria from BTG Pharmaceuticals, Boston Scientific, Bayer HealthCare, and LeoPharma; and institutional grants from Sanofi, all outside the submitted work. WA reports research support from Bayer, and participating in advisory boards for Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Portola, Janssen, Aspen, and Sanofi all outside the submitted work. MB reports consulting and speaker fees from Bayer Healthcare, Daiichi Sankyo, and Sanofi Aventis outside the submitted work. FC reports research grant support from Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance; fees for board memberships or symposia from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, and Astra Zeneca; and travel support from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, Leo Pharma, and Actelion all outside the submitted work. KD reports unrestricted research support and speaker or consultant fees from Janssen outside the submitted work. DD reports speaker's honoraria from Bayer Vital, Daiichi Sankyo, and Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance; and consulting fees from Bayer Vital and Daiichi Sankyo all outside the submitted work. KE reports lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer Vital, Berlin Chemie, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novartis; and consulting fees from Bayer Vital, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk all outside the submitted work. GG reports personal fees or research grants, or both, from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Leo, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, and Pfizer outside the submitted work. MVH reports grants from the ZonMW Dutch Healthcare Fund; and grants and personal fees to the Leiden University Medical Center from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, Bayer Health Care, Aspen, and Daiichi Sankyo, all outside the submitted work. DJ reports serving as an advisor or consultant for Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Leo Pharma, Pfizer, ROVI, and Sanofi; serving as a speaker or a member of a speakers' bureau for Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Leo Pharma, ROVI, and Sanofi; and receiving grants for clinical research from Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi, and ROVI all outside the submitted work. MK reports speaker fees from Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Bayer outside the submitted work. IML reports receiving consulting fees and research grants from, and being a member of scientific advisory boards for AOPOrphan Pharmaceuticals, Actelion-Janssen, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, United Therapeutics, Medtronic, Neutrolis, and Ferrer, in addition to being an investigator in trials involving these companies. ML reports consultant and speaker fees from Actelion, Bayer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Daiichi Sankyo, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, and Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance; and project funding from Thermo Fisher Scientific all outside the submitted work. NM reports consulting fees, speaker fees, and project funding from Bayer and Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance; speaker fees from AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim; and consulting fees from Abbott and Terumo all outside the submitted work. AOP reports speaker fees from SC Pfizer Romania, Servier Pharma, Novartis Pharma Services Romania, Bayer, and SC Sanience outside the submitted work. AS reports consulting fees from Pfizer outside the submitted work. SS reports consulting fees and speaker fees from Aspen and Boehringer Ingelheim; speaker fees from Bayer and Daiichi Sankyo; and project funding and speaker fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance all outside the submitted work. K-HS reports speaker and consulting fees from Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Janssen-Cilag, and Abbott outside the submitted work. FV reports research grants from Daiichi Sanyo, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Radiometer, and Biomerieux, outside the submitted work. SVK reports institutional research grants and personal consultancy or speaker fees from Actelion/Janssen, Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, and Boston Scientific; institutional research grants from Boehringer Ingelheim and Servier; and personal consultancy or speaker fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance and Novartis all outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests.

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