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Blood thinner showdown: which is safer for clot patients?

NCT ID NCT03266783

Disease control Sponsor: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compared two blood thinners, rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and apixaban (Eliquis), in 2760 adults with new blood clots in the legs or lungs. The goal was to see which drug causes fewer bleeding problems. Results could help doctors choose the safer option for treating venous thromboembolism.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
rivaroxaban and apixaban (blood thinners)
What this could lead to
If one drug proves safer, doctors may prescribe it more often to reduce bleeding complications in VTE patients.
What could go wrong
This is a single completed trial; results may not apply to all patients. Bleeding risk differences could be small or not clinically meaningful.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

2,760 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2017

Finished

Oct 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed newly diagnosed symptomatic acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) \[proximal lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or segmental or greater pulmonary embolism (PE)\] * Age ≥ 18 years old * Informed consent obtained Exclusion Criteria: * Have received \> 72 hours of therapeutic anticoagulation * Creatinine clearance \< 30 ml/min calculated with the Cockcroft-Gault formula * Any contraindication for anticoagulation with apixaban or rivaroxaban as determined by the treating physician such as, but not limited to: * active bleeding, * active malignancy, defined as a) diagnosed with cancer within the past 6 months; or b) recurrent, regionally advanced or metastatic disease; or c) currently receiving treatment or have received any treatment for cancer during the 6 months prior to randomization; or d) a hematologic malignancy not in complete remission, * weight \> 120 kg, * liver disease (Child-Pugh Class B or C), * use of contraindicated medications * another indication for long-term anticoagulation (e.g. atrial fibrillation) * pregnant (note below) or breastfeeding (Note: as reported by the patient or a pregnancy test will be ordered at the discretion of the treating physician for women of childbearing potential as per standard of care)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

pulmonary embolism venous thromboembolism

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Venous thromboembolism

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Alberta Health Sciences

    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  • CHU de Québec-Université Laval

    Québec, Quebec, Canada

  • Hamilton General Hospital

    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  • Hôpital Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • Jewish General Hospital

    Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada

  • Juravinski Hospital

    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  • Kingston General Hospital

    Kingston, Ontario, Canada

  • London Health Sciences Center

    London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada

  • McGill University Health Center

    Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada

  • QEII Health Science Centre

    Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2Y9, Canada

  • St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  • St. Mary's Hospital

    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • St. Paul's Hospital

    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

  • The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6, Canada

  • The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland/Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

    Dublin, Ireland

  • The University of Sydney

    Darlington, New South Wales, 200606, Australia

  • UHN - Toronto General Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada

  • University of Calgary

    Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  • University of Sherbrooke

    Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

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