# Apixaban

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/apixaban/  
OnCo record `apixaban` (Treatment). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Apixaban is a blood-thinning tablet. Guidelines now accept it for treating a clot in most people with cancer, and for preventing clots in some people starting chemotherapy who are at higher risk.

## Summary

The Eliquis label covers stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, DVT prophylaxis after hip or knee replacement, and treatment of DVT and pulmonary embolism with reduction of recurrence. ITAC 2022: rivaroxaban or apixaban can be used for initial treatment of established VTE in people with cancer without a high risk of gastrointestinal or genitourinary bleeding (1A), DOACs are recommended for maintenance in the absence of strong drug interactions or impaired absorption, with caution in gastrointestinal cancers (1A), and rivaroxaban or apixaban are recommended as primary prophylaxis for ambulatory people on systemic anticancer therapy with a Khorana score of 2 or more and low bleeding risk (1B), including those with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (1B). The 2023 ASCO update added apixaban as an option for treating VTE (strong recommendation, high-quality evidence) and, with rivaroxaban, for extended prophylaxis after cancer surgery (weak). The NDA was first approved on 28 December 2012.

## Fields

- Kind: Treatment
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-11-11
- Tags: supportive; generic; supportive-care-gaps-2026-11
- Brand: Eliquis
- Modality: Direct oral anticoagulant (factor Xa inhibitor, tablet)
- Mechanism: A direct, oral inhibitor of activated factor X.
- Approvals: US 2012: Stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation; DVT prophylaxis after hip or knee replacement; treatment of DVT and PE and reduction of recurrence

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apixaban
- US label (DailyMed): Eliquis: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1523ab32-2c2c-6501-e063-6394a90aa0b3
- Farge et al., 2022 international clinical practice guidelines (ITAC) for the treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer (Lancet Oncol 2022): https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00160-7
- Key et al., Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and treatment in patients with cancer: ASCO guideline update (J Clin Oncol 2023): https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.00294

## Connected records

- drugs: [Dalteparin](https://onco.cc/drugs/dalteparin/), [Edoxaban](https://onco.cc/drugs/edoxaban/), [Enoxaparin](https://onco.cc/drugs/enoxaparin/), [Rivaroxaban](https://onco.cc/drugs/rivaroxaban/)
- technologies: [Cancer-associated thrombosis prevention and treatment](https://onco.cc/technologies/cancer-associated-thrombosis/)
- terms: [Venous thromboembolism (VTE)](https://onco.cc/terms/vte/)
- trials: [Apixaban to Prevent Venous Thromboembolism in Ambulatory Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Systemic Anticancer Treatment](https://onco.cc/trials/nct07160686/)
- key papers: [Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis and Treatment in Patients With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-key-j-clin-oncol/)

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