ELIQUIS (Page 2 of 11)

3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

2.5 mg, yellow, round, biconvex, film-coated tablets with “893” debossed on one side and “2½” on the other side.
5 mg, pink, oval-shaped, biconvex, film-coated tablets with “894” debossed on one side and “5” on the other side.

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS

ELIQUIS is contraindicated in patients with the following conditions:

Active pathological bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Adverse Reactions (6.1)]
Severe hypersensitivity reaction to ELIQUIS (e.g., anaphylactic reactions) [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

5.1 Increased Risk of Thrombotic Events after Premature Discontinuation

Premature discontinuation of any oral anticoagulant, including ELIQUIS, in the absence of adequate alternative anticoagulation increases the risk of thrombotic events. An increased rate of stroke was observed during the transition from ELIQUIS to warfarin in clinical trials in atrial fibrillation patients. If ELIQUIS is discontinued for a reason other than pathological bleeding or completion of a course of therapy, consider coverage with another anticoagulant [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Clinical Studies (14.1)].

5.2 Bleeding

ELIQUIS increases the risk of bleeding and can cause serious, potentially fatal, bleeding [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) and Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

Concomitant use of drugs affecting hemostasis increases the risk of bleeding. These include aspirin and other antiplatelet agents, other anticoagulants, heparin, thrombolytic agents, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [see Drug Interactions (7.3)].

Advise patients of signs and symptoms of blood loss and to report them immediately or go to an emergency room. Discontinue ELIQUIS in patients with active pathological hemorrhage.

Reversal of Anticoagulant Effect

An agent to reverse the anti-factor Xa activity of apixaban is available. The pharmacodynamic effect of ELIQUIS can be expected to persist for at least 24 hours after the last dose, i.e., for about two drug half-lives. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), activated prothrombin complex concentrate or recombinant factor VIIa may be considered, but have not been evaluated in clinical studies [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)]. When PCCs are used, monitoring for the anticoagulation effect of apixaban using a clotting test (PT, INR, or aPTT) or anti-factor Xa (FXa) activity is not useful and is not recommended. Activated oral charcoal reduces absorption of apixaban, thereby lowering apixaban plasma concentration [see Overdosage (10)].

Hemodialysis does not appear to have a substantial impact on apixaban exposure [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. Protamine sulfate and vitamin K are not expected to affect the anticoagulant activity of apixaban. There is no experience with antifibrinolytic agents (tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid) in individuals receiving apixaban. There is no experience with systemic hemostatics (desmopressin) in individuals receiving ELIQUIS, and they are not expected to be effective as a reversal agent.

5.3 Spinal/Epidural Anesthesia or Puncture

When neuraxial anesthesia (spinal/epidural anesthesia) or spinal/epidural puncture is employed, patients treated with antithrombotic agents for prevention of thromboembolic complications are at risk of developing an epidural or spinal hematoma which can result in long-term or permanent paralysis.

The risk of these events may be increased by the postoperative use of indwelling epidural catheters or the concomitant use of medicinal products affecting hemostasis. Indwelling epidural or intrathecal catheters should not be removed earlier than 24 hours after the last administration of ELIQUIS. The next dose of ELIQUIS should not be administered earlier than 5 hours after the removal of the catheter. The risk may also be increased by traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal puncture. If traumatic puncture occurs, delay the administration of ELIQUIS for 48 hours.

Monitor patients frequently for signs and symptoms of neurological impairment (e.g., numbness or weakness of the legs, or bowel or bladder dysfunction). If neurological compromise is noted, urgent diagnosis and treatment is necessary. Prior to neuraxial intervention the physician should consider the potential benefit versus the risk in anticoagulated patients or in patients to be anticoagulated for thromboprophylaxis.

5.4 Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valves

The safety and efficacy of ELIQUIS have not been studied in patients with prosthetic heart valves. Therefore, use of ELIQUIS is not recommended in these patients.

5.5 Acute PE in Hemodynamically Unstable Patients or Patients who Require Thrombolysis or Pulmonary Embolectomy

Initiation of ELIQUIS is not recommended as an alternative to unfractionated heparin for the initial treatment of patients with PE who present with hemodynamic instability or who may receive thrombolysis or pulmonary embolectomy.

5.6 Increased Risk of Thrombosis in Patients with Triple Positive Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including ELIQUIS, are not recommended for use in patients with triple-positive antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). For patients with APS (especially those who are triple positive [positive for lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I antibodies]), treatment with DOACs has been associated with increased rates of recurrent thrombotic events compared with vitamin K antagonist therapy.

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS

The following clinically significant adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the prescribing information.

Increased Risk of Thrombotic Events After Premature Discontinuation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]
Bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)]
Spinal/Epidural Anesthesia or Puncture [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)]

6.1 Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

Reduction of Risk of Stroke and Systemic Embolism in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

The safety of ELIQUIS was evaluated in the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES studies [see Clinical Studies (14)] , including 11,284 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 5 mg twice daily and 602 patients exposed to ELIQUIS 2.5 mg twice daily. The duration of ELIQUIS exposure was ≥12 months for 9375 patients and ≥24 months for 3369 patients in the two studies. In ARISTOTLE, the mean duration of exposure was 89 weeks (>15,000 patient-years). In AVERROES, the mean duration of exposure was approximately 59 weeks (>3000 patient-years).

The most common reason for treatment discontinuation in both studies was for bleeding-related adverse reactions; in ARISTOTLE this occurred in 1.7% and 2.5% of patients treated with ELIQUIS and warfarin, respectively, and in AVERROES, in 1.5% and 1.3% on ELIQUIS and aspirin, respectively.

Bleeding in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in ARISTOTLE and AVERROES

Tables 1 and 2 show the number of patients experiencing major bleeding during the treatment period and the bleeding rate (percentage of subjects with at least one bleeding event per 100 patient-years) in ARISTOTLE and AVERROES.

Table 1: Bleeding Events in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in ARISTOTLE*
ELIQUIS N=9088 n (per 100 pt-year) Warfarin N=9052 n (per 100 pt-year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value

Major

327 (2.13)

462 (3.09)

0.69 (0.60, 0.80)

<0.0001

Intracranial (ICH)

52 (0.33)

125 (0.82)

0.41 (0.30, 0.57)

Hemorrhagic stroke§

38 (0.24)

74 (0.49)

0.51 (0.34, 0.75)

Other ICH

15 (0.10)

51 (0.34)

0.29 (0.16, 0.51)

Gastrointestinal (GI)

128 (0.83)

141 (0.93)

0.89 (0.70, 1.14)

Fatal**

10 (0.06)

37 (0.24)

0.27 (0.13, 0.53)

Intracranial

4 (0.03)

30 (0.20)

0.13 (0.05, 0.37)

Non-intracranial

6 (0.04)

7 (0.05)

0.84 (0.28, 2.15)

* Bleeding events within each subcategory were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints. Bleeding events were counted during treatment or within 2 days of stopping study treatment (on-treatment period).
Defined as clinically overt bleeding accompanied by one or more of the following: a decrease in hemoglobin of ≥2 g/dL, a transfusion of 2 or more units of packed red blood cells, bleeding at a critical site: intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, pericardial, intra-articular, intramuscular with compartment syndrome, retroperitoneal or with fatal outcome.
Intracranial bleed includes intracerebral, intraventricular, subdural, and subarachnoid bleeding. Any type of hemorrhagic stroke was adjudicated and counted as an intracranial major bleed.
§ On-treatment analysis based on the safety population, compared to ITT analysis presented in Section 14.
GI bleed includes upper GI, lower GI, and rectal bleeding.** Fatal bleeding is an adjudicated death with the primary cause of death as intracranial bleeding or non-intracranial bleeding during the on-treatment period.

In ARISTOTLE, the results for major bleeding were generally consistent across most major subgroups including age, weight, CHADS2 score (a scale from 0 to 6 used to estimate risk of stroke, with higher scores predicting greater risk), prior warfarin use, geographic region, and aspirin use at randomization (Figure 1). Subjects treated with ELIQUIS with diabetes bled more (3% per year) than did subjects without diabetes (1.9% per year).

Figure 1: Major Bleeding Hazard Ratios by Baseline Characteristics – ARISTOTLE Study

ARISTOTLE Major Bleeding Forest Plot
(click image for full-size original)

Note: The figure above presents effects in various subgroups, all of which are baseline characteristics and all of which were prespecified, if not the groupings. The 95% confidence limits that are shown do not take into account how many comparisons were made, nor do they reflect the effect of a particular factor after adjustment for all other factors. Apparent homogeneity or heterogeneity among groups should not be over-interpreted.

Table 2: Bleeding Events in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in AVERROES
ELIQUIS N=2798 n (%/year) Aspirin N=2780 n (%/year) Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P-value
Events associated with each endpoint were counted once per subject, but subjects may have contributed events to multiple endpoints.

Major

45 (1.41)

29 (0.92)

1.54 (0.96, 2.45)

0.07

Fatal

5 (0.16)

5 (0.16)

0.99 (0.23, 4.29)

Intracranial

11 (0.34)

11 (0.35)

0.99 (0.39, 2.51)

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