Apixaban, a drug commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots during severe COVID-19 recovery, does not improve patient outcomes and could even do harm, according to a recent study. This new evidence will likely change post-COVID treatment protocols worldwide.*

Deepening knowledge of post-COVID care

In the HEAL-COVID study, researchers from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England have found that the anticoagulant Apixaban does not improve patient outcomes in people recovering from moderate or severe COVID-19. 

Lead researcher and intensive care specialist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Charlotte Summers, M.D., says, “Having survived the ordeal of being hospitalized with COVID-19, far too many patients find themselves back in the hospital, often developing longer-term complications as a result of the virus.” She hopes that her team’s findings will help guide protocol changes for post-COVID treatment. 

What the researchers found

Results of the study, which included over 1,100 participants across the U.K., showed that:

• Approximately 29% of those who took the drug eventually either died or had to return to the hospital, compared to just over 30% of those who received standard care. 
• A small percentage of those who received Apixaban went on to experience serious adverse side effects, such as severe bleeding.

“Up until now it’s been assumed that Apixaban helps patients recover after severe COVID-19 and that thinning their blood to prevent clots is beneficial,” says Mark Toshner, M.D., director of the translational biomedical research master of the philosophy program at the University of Cambridge and a joint chief investigator of the study. “[We hope] these results will stop this drug being needlessly prescribed to patients with COVID-19 and we can change medical practice.”

Looking ahead

“Whether they identify new treatments or rule out methods of care, [clinical trials] are vital and rigorous evidence when it comes to changes [in] best medical practice,” says Nick Lemoine, clinical research network medical director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The HEAL-COVID study will continue to test the efficacy of another drug, Atorvastatin, as a post-COVID treatment. Atorvastatin is commonly used to lower cholesterol, and scientists speculate that the lipid-lowering effects may be beneficial for COVID-19 patients.

*Neville, S. (2022, November 27). Blood clot drug totally ineffective as post-Covid treatment, research finds. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/db1e6c05-b8bb-429e-8cbd-8ea0dde58bf0