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Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) treatment is noninferior to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for preventing recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients, according to a study. Deborah Schrag, M.D. and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of DOACs (335 patients) versus LMWH (336 patients) for preventing recurrent VTE in patients with cancer (any invasive solid tumor, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia) over six months. The researchers found that rates of recurrent VTE were 6.1 percent in the DOAC group versus 8.8 percent in the LMWH group (difference, −2.7 percent), consistent with the prespecified noninferiority criterion. None of the six prespecified secondary outcomes...

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Union's drug regulator, on Friday found a possible link between Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and rare cases of blood clotting in deep veins. During a Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee meeting, the agency said it found a possible link between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the J&J vaccine. "VTE is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in a leg, arm or groin, and may travel to the lungs causing a blockage of the blood supply, with possible life-threatening consequences," the agency wrote in its meeting highlights. It...