Treatment persistence in rivaroxaban versus warfarin therapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Rates and reasons for stopping rivaroxaban versus warfarin treatment: a cohort analysis using real-world secondary care data in the England and Wales.
IRAS ID
224399
Contact name
Lorna Hazell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Drug Safety Research Unit
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
For many decades, anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin have been used to thin the blood and prevent blood clots in patients with certain medical conditions. However, people who take warfarin need to have regular blood tests to make sure their blood does not become too thin, which can lead to side effects such as bleeding. They also have to be careful with their diet and other medicines which can affect how warfarin works in the body. Some of these factors may lead patients to stop taking their medication earlier than planned which may leave them at risk of developing further blood clots.
Some studies have found that patients may be less likely to stop taking their medication with newer anticoagulants such as rivaroxaban. These studies have often been performed using records from prescriptions issued by GPs. There is less information available about when or why patients may stop their treatment in the early period of treatment e.g. whilst in hospital or soon afterwards.
This student project will use existing data from a UK study that was designed to assess how rivaroxaban is used by patients during first 12 weeks after starting the treatment. The aim is to investigate whether there are differences between patients prescribed rivaroxaban and warfarin in terms of whether they stop taking their medication and the reasons why they stop treatment. This project will complement existing studies in the UK setting but will also contribute further by providing information from a different data source and treatment setting.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0130
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion