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RAMBLE - Rivaroxaban vs. Apixaban for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Randomized Trial to Test the Effect of Rivaroxaban or Apixaban on Menstrual Blood Loss in Women

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02829957
Acronym
(RAMBLE)
Enrollment
19
Registered
2016-07-12
Start date
2016-09-30
Completion date
2020-02-13
Last updated
2023-11-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Menstruation, Venous Thromboembolism

Brief summary

A large proportion of women with menstruating potential with newly diagnosed VTE or atrial fibrillation, treated with apixaban will have less menstrual blood loss than patients randomized to rivaroxaban.

Detailed description

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) complicates the treatment of approximately 9-25% of patients treated with orally administered anti-Xa anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism (VTE, including either pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis). In particular, recent evidence has suggested an increase in length and severity of menstrual bleeding for women treated with rivaroxaban, and this effect may be less severe apixaban treatment.(1;2) Increase in uterine bleeding with rivaroxaban has necessitated hysterectomy in rare cases.(3) Other complications of HMB include reduced drug adherence, decreased perception of wellness (quality of life) and anemia.(4;5) The anti-Xa agents may increase HMB more than vitamin K antagonists.(1) However, in the principal investigators' experience treating over 100 women of menstruating age with rivaroxaban for VTE with varying degree of HMB, no woman has expressed desire to switch to a VKA even when offered this option (unpublished data). We have successfully reduced perception of HMB by switching from rivaroxaban to apixaban in six patients. Comparison of published and supplemental data from AMPLIFY and AMPLIFY Extend to EINSTEIN and EINSTEIN extend trials also support a lower rate of uterine bleeding with apixaban compared with rivaroxaban, although exact comparisons are difficult to make.(6;9) Myers et al recently reported a 9.4% rate of HMB with apixaban, compared with a 25% rate of HMB with rivaroxaban.(2) Accordingly, we hypothesize that women with menstruating potential with newly diagnosed VTE or atrial fibrillation/flutter, treated with apixaban will have less menstrual blood loss than patients randomized to rivaroxaban.

Interventions

DRUGApixaban

10mg BID for 7 days, then 5mg BID for three months

DRUGRivaroxaban

15mg BID for 7 days, then 20mg daily for three months

Sponsors

Indiana University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Non-pregnant women, age 18-50 * For study purposes, evidence of negative pregnancy is accounted for by the treating physician's initiation of treatment with oral anticoagulants * Objectively diagnosed VTE or atrial fibrillation/flutter * Patient reported active menstruation - does not apply to women who were recently pregnant * Clinical plan and patient agreement to treat with oral anticoagulation for 3 months or longer * Patients must have a working telephone

Exclusion criteria

* Package insert exclusions for Eliquis (Apixban) or Xarelto (Rivaroxaban): \[active pathological bleeding or severe hypersensitivity reaction to XARELTO or ELIQUIS (e.g., anaphylactic reactions)\] * Plan to become pregnant in the next three months. * Concomitant prescribed use of aspirin or thienopyridenes or other platelet inhibiting drugs * Plan for surgical hysterectomy or endometrial ablation * Known uterine cancer * Von Willebrand's disease, or hemophilia * Known coagulopathy from liver disease * Conditions likely to preclude adherence to study procedures: Active intravenous drug use, known alcoholism, homelessness, or uncontrolled psychiatric illness.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
PBAC Scores3 monthsMeasure Description: A PBAC Score of \< 100 indicates a normal menstrual cycle. The lowest possible score would be zero. Higher values indicate worse outcomes. The higher theoretical range value cannot be calculated. The scoring mechanism is as follows; Towels * 1 point for each lightly stained towel * 5 points or each moderately soiled towel * 20 points if the towel is completely saturated with blood Tampons * 1 point for each lightly stained tampon * 5 points for each moderately soiled tampon * 10 points if the tampon is completely saturated with blood Clots * 1 point for small clots * 5 points for large clots

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Patients That Held Drug for Menorrhagia1, 2, and 3 months
Number of Participants With Major Hemorrhage3 months
Number of Participants With Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)3 months
Number of Participants Who Discontinued Planned Drug Administration3 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Relevant Non-major Bleeding3 months
Hemoglobin Concentration3 monthsMeasure Description: Normal hemoglobin range for adult women - 12 - 16 g/dL. Lower levels indicate worse outcomes.
Physical Component Summary of Standard From 363 monthsThe RAND 36-Item Health Survey (Version 1.0) taps eight health concepts: physical functioning, bodily pain, role limitations due to physical health problems, role limitations due to personal or emotional problems, emotional well-being, social functioning, energy/fatigue, and general health perceptions. All items are scored so that a high score defines a more favorable health state. In addition, each item is scored on a 0 to 100 range so that the lowest and highest possible scores are 0 and 100, respectively.
Number of Participants Who Crossed Over to Another Anticoagulant3 months

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Rivaroxaban
Rivaroxaban: 15mg BID for 7 days, then 20mg daily for three months
8
Apixaban
Apixaban: 10mg BID for 7 days, then 5mg BID for three months
11
Total19

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up21

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicRivaroxabanTotalApixaban
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
8 Participants19 Participants11 Participants
d-dimer661 ng/ml840.5 ng/ml1031 ng/ml
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
8 Participants18 Participants10 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
hgb12.6 g/dl12.7 g/dl13.0 g/dl
pbac-pictoral bloodloss assessment chart173.5 score148 score142 score
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
2 Participants5 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
6 Participants14 Participants8 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
8 participants19 participants11 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
8 Participants19 Participants11 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)57.9 Score55.4 Score55.4 Score

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 80 / 11
other
Total, other adverse events
4 / 85 / 11
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 80 / 11

Outcome results

Primary

PBAC Scores

Measure Description: A PBAC Score of \< 100 indicates a normal menstrual cycle. The lowest possible score would be zero. Higher values indicate worse outcomes. The higher theoretical range value cannot be calculated. The scoring mechanism is as follows; Towels * 1 point for each lightly stained towel * 5 points or each moderately soiled towel * 20 points if the towel is completely saturated with blood Tampons * 1 point for each lightly stained tampon * 5 points for each moderately soiled tampon * 10 points if the tampon is completely saturated with blood Clots * 1 point for small clots * 5 points for large clots

Time frame: 3 months

Population: The number of participants at baseline differ from those of the outcome measurements because some participants were lost to followup.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
RivaroxabanPBAC Scores292 score on a scale
ApixabanPBAC Scores146 score on a scale
Secondary

Hemoglobin Concentration

Measure Description: Normal hemoglobin range for adult women - 12 - 16 g/dL. Lower levels indicate worse outcomes.

Time frame: 3 months

Population: The number of participants at baseline differ from those of the outcome measurements because some participants were lost to followup.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
RivaroxabanHemoglobin Concentration12.8 g/dl
ApixabanHemoglobin Concentration13.25 g/dl
Secondary

Number of Participants Who Crossed Over to Another Anticoagulant

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Participants Who Crossed Over to Another Anticoagulant3 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Participants Who Crossed Over to Another Anticoagulant1 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants Who Discontinued Planned Drug Administration

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Participants Who Discontinued Planned Drug Administration4 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Participants Who Discontinued Planned Drug Administration2 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Clinically Relevant Non-major Bleeding

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Participants With Clinically Relevant Non-major Bleeding3 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Participants With Clinically Relevant Non-major Bleeding0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Major Hemorrhage

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Participants With Major Hemorrhage0 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Participants With Major Hemorrhage0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Participants With Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Participants With Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)0 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Participants With Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)0 Participants
Secondary

Number of Patients That Held Drug for Menorrhagia

Time frame: 1, 2, and 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
RivaroxabanNumber of Patients That Held Drug for Menorrhagia0 Participants
ApixabanNumber of Patients That Held Drug for Menorrhagia0 Participants
Secondary

Physical Component Summary of Standard From 36

The RAND 36-Item Health Survey (Version 1.0) taps eight health concepts: physical functioning, bodily pain, role limitations due to physical health problems, role limitations due to personal or emotional problems, emotional well-being, social functioning, energy/fatigue, and general health perceptions. All items are scored so that a high score defines a more favorable health state. In addition, each item is scored on a 0 to 100 range so that the lowest and highest possible scores are 0 and 100, respectively.

Time frame: 3 months

Population: The number of participants at baseline differ from those of the outcome measurements because some participants were lost to followup.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
RivaroxabanPhysical Component Summary of Standard From 3655.5 Score
ApixabanPhysical Component Summary of Standard From 3645.6 Score

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026