Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events With Rivaroxaban in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Study

Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events With Rivaroxaban in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Study (AFIRE Study)

In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) complicated with coronary artery disease (CAD), antiplatelet drugs are commonly used for the prevention of recurrence of stent thrombosis and cardiovascular events in combination with anticoagulant drugs. Based on the observations that the incidence of hemorrhagic complications increased when an antiplatelet drug was administered in combination with vitamin K antagonist (VKA), the guidelines for antithrombotic therapy after PCI in the US and EU recommend that DAPT (dual anti-platelets therapy) should be used in AF-complicated CAD patients for as short a time as possible following single anti-platelet and VKA, and that monotherapy with VKA should be started from one year after PCI. In 2013 the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) published the guidelines for the use of NOACs in NVAF patients, which state that NOACs may have advantage to VKAs in terms of anti-thrombotic effects in NVAF patients undergoing PCI. However, no clinical evidence has ever been generated to reveal the efficacy and safety of mono-drug therapy with a NOACs in stable CAD patients one year or more after PCI.

AFIRE study is planned to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mono-drug therapy with a rivaroxaban in stable CAD patients. Among NOACs, rivaroxaban was chosen because of the evidence in Japanese patients and the results of a sub-analysis of ROCKET AF suggesting that rivaroxaban is more effective than VKA in reducing the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI).

Study Design:prospective, randomized, open-label trial

Allocation:ratio to rivaroxaban monotherapy and rivaroxaban in co-administration with a single anti-platelet therapy is 1: 1 using WEB system

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation complicated with stable coronary artery disease who are 20 years or older, with CHADS2 score are ≧1 , and that fulfill one of the following criteria and can provide written consent for participation in the present study will be eligible.

1. Patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI), including plain old balloon angioplasty(POBA), at least one year ago
2. Patients who have coronary stenosis requiring no percutaneous coronary intervention (50% or more stenosis) as indicated by coronary CT or coronary angiography(CAG)
3. Patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) at least one year ago

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients for whom rivaroxaban is contraindicated
• Patients for whom aspirin, thienopyridine derivatives (clopidogrel or prasugrel) are contraindicated
• Patients who underwent PCI, including POBA, in the past one year
• Patients who are going to undergo revascularization
• Patients who have a past history of stent thrombosis
• Those who are going to undergo invasive surgery (excluding digestive endoscopy and biopsy)
• Patients who have active tumors
• Patients who have poorly-controlled hypertension (systolic blood pressure at hospital admission: 160 mmHg or more)
• Patients who cannot discontinue treatment with antiplatelet drugs (the physician in charge will make a decision on the basis of the lesion shape, lesion site and type of stents.)
• Patients judged as inappropriate for this study by investigators