A Phase 4 interventional study of Rivaroxaban and Warfarin in Left Ventricular Thrombus and Myocardial Infarction, sponsored by Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre. Recruiting at 1 site in Nepal. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-11.
Sponsored by Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment
Introduction:
The prevalence of left ventricular(LV) thrombus after acute myocardial infarction has decreased with thrombolysis and primary angioplasty intervention worldwide. However, most of the patients in our country present late after the onset of ischemia resulting in a comparable increase proportion of late presentation MI compared to developed countries. This delayed presentation is associated with the increased incidence of LV thrombus, associated with increased cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. The Vitamin K Antagonist Warfarin is indicated in recent guidelines for the duration of 3-6 months. The use of Warfarin is less in our part of the world due to the requirement of frequent International Normalized Ration (INR) monitoring and dietary restrictions. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are an alternate option for such hindrance to the treatment of LV thrombus. This research will help assess the safety and efficacy of Rivaroxaban, one of the NOACs compared to warfarin.
Objectives:
Our aim will be to compare the efficacy of rivaroxaban compared to warfarin in the complete resolution of post-MI LV thrombus. The primary efficacy endpoint of our study will be a resolution of LV thrombus as assessed by cardiac MRI at the end of 3 months of the study period. The secondary endpoint will be the comparison of the safety of both drugs measured by the incidence of major bleeding and embolic events.
Methods:
The patients who present late after acute MI in our center with LV thrombus will be enrolled in our study. The diagnosis of LV thrombus will be diagnosed by cardiac MRI, which is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis. The patients then will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either warfarin or rivaroxaban within 24 hours of diagnosis of LV thrombus. The warfarin group will be prescribed the warfarin in the dose of 5mg daily and the dose titrated according to the INR value to maintain the INR range of 2 to 3. Rivaroxaban group will be prescribed 15 to 20mg according to the indication. The research group consisting of the principal investigator and coinvestigators will be responsible for the recruitment and overall study procedures.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among non-communicable diseases worldwide including in Nepal. Myocardial infarction(MI) is the main disease among cardiovascular diseases. [i] MI is also the main reason for hospitalization in the cardiac centers of our country. [ii] There is an additional burden of late presentation of MI in our setting due to lack of proper awareness, limited access to health care and improper referral mechanism. In the hospital-based registry in 2018, more than 65% of acute MI presented after the eligible time frame for primary angioplasty or thrombolysis. [iii] The incidence of the formation of left ventricular (LV) thrombus is increased with the late presentation. Worldwide, the prevalence of LV thrombus before the era of primary angioplasty was around 31-57%. [iv],[v],[vi] After the start of the primary angioplasty techniques, the prevalence of post-MI LV thrombus has decreased to around 15%.[vii] However, it is still associated with increased risks of embolic events and mortality.[viii],[ix],[x] European and American guidelines have recommended using vitamin K antagonist (VKA) for a minimum of 3-6 months as a class IIa, LOE c, with duration individualized to bleeding risk with a target of international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.5 (range of 2 to 3). [xi],[xii] Non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in addition to the dual antiplatelet therapy in these patients are attractive alternatives because of their potential efficacy and safety along with ease of administration, lack of requirement for INR monitoring or dietary restrictions resulting in overall improvement of life.[xiii] However, there is no randomized control trial comparing warfarin and NOACs. There are two ongoing trials NCT01556659 and NCT03764241. The recommendation is more relevant to us as there is an overburden of patients presenting late due to various geographical and financial reasons. This study was designed for the evaluation of anticoagulation effects among the acute ST elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) with LV thrombus in complete resolution of LV thrombus. The investigators aim to compare Warfarin to Rivaroxaban in the management of post-myocardial infarction left ventricular thrombus in our part of the world.
Data management and Analysis Plan:
Independent data safety and monitoring board will be formed and will be responsible for the safety concerns of the research participants. Data will be collected and entered in the computer-based CRF constructed using the password-protected free software at https://www.kobotoolbox.org. The data will be accessed by the principal investigator and the research officer only. The data will be anonymized before statistical analysis which will be performed by the separate coinvestigators responsible for the data analysis. Appropriate statistical tests will be used for measuring association and correlation. A 'P' value of less than 0.05 will be considered to be significant.
Dissemination Plan:
The findings of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences.
2,270 studies on the registry are indexed under Myocardial Infarction; 371 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 196 is above the median of 150 across 1,314 interventional studies indexed under Myocardial Infarction.
Browse Myocardial Infarction studies →Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Child-Pugh class
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Creatinine clearance (CrCl)
How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Life expectancy
The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
In this arm, the patients with post-myocardial infarction and left ventricular thrombus will be treated with Rivaroxaban 20mg or 15mg as indicated.
Drug: Rivaroxaban
In this arm, the patients with post-myocardial infarction and left ventricular thrombus will be treated with warfarin with a dose adjusted with the International Normalised ratio range of 2.0 to 3.0.
Drug: Warfarin
Intervention Group: The patients in the intervention group will be treated with Rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily with the evening meal in patients with a CrCl \>50 mL/min OR 15 mg in cases of moderate-to-severe renal impairment dose with the dosing of once daily with the evening meal in patients with a CrCl ≤50 mL/min. The patient in the intervention group will be requested for follow-up after 3 months of commencing the treatment or whenever the signs and symptoms of bleeding events are noted.
Control Group: The patients in the control group will be treated with Warfarin. The dose will be started with 5 mg and will be titrated based on the International Normalized Ratio (INR) which will be targeted at the range of 2.0 to 3.0. The dual antiplatelet duration will be based on the latest guidelines. The patients will be asked for frequent INR monitoring on an OPD basis until the INR is within the therapeutic range, after which patients will be asked for monthly follow-up INR reports. The patients in the control group will not be treated with heparin or low molecular weight heparin before the INR is maintained in the therapeutic range.
LV thrombus resolution
The primary endpoint will be a resolution of LV thrombus as assessed by cardiac MRI in 3 months of study.
Time frame: 3 months
Major bleeding events
The major bleeding events will be defined according to the definition of major bleeding for non-surgical patients according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH)/Scientific and Standardization Committee (SSC)\[xiv\] which is 1. Fatal bleeding. and/or 2. Symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ, such as intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, retroperitoneal, intraarticular or pericardial, or intramuscular with compartment syndrome. and/or 3. Bleeding causing a fall in hemoglobin level of 2 g/dL (1.24 mmol/L) or more, or leading to transfusion of two or more units of whole blood or red cells.
Time frame: 3 months
Embolic events
Embolic events will be defined as Cardioembolic stroke that is stroke attributable to arterial occlusion from an embolus that presumably arose in the heart. Ischemic stroke in the vascular distribution of a major intracranial or extracranial artery with \>50% stenosis or occlusion on vascular imaging. Clinical findings include those of cerebral cortical involvement or brainstem or cerebellar dysfunction. Cortical and cerebellar lesions and brainstem or subcortical lesions \>1.5 cm are considered potentially caused by large artery atherosclerosis. Evidence of a previous TIA or stroke in \>1 vascular territory supports a clinical diagnosis of cardioembolic stroke.\[xv\]
Time frame: 3 months
Plan to share: No — The data safety and monitoring board will be formed which will be responsible for safety supervision and monitoring among our study participants. The board will include three members each from the Department of Cardiology, the Department of Cardiac Surgery and the Department of Cardiac Anesthesia. The board will be responsible for the safety of the study participants. The principal investigator will be primarily responsible for the entire research. A well-trained research officer will be hired who will be responsible for the recruitment of the participants, obtaining consent forms and informing the principal investigator regarding the allocation of the treatment group. The principal investigator along with the coinvestigators will be primarily responsible for the treatment of the patients and drug dosage escalation/de-escalation according to the INR report. The quality of the data will be ensured by regular data monitoring by the principal investigator.
Started Jun 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2026, 33 months after the start.
Of 83 non-industry phase 4 interventional studies under Myocardial Infarction, half reached primary completion within 42 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 78. This study's planned 33 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 87 studies reached it within 42 months; a quarter within 22 and three quarters within 78.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Rivaroxaban
Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre