Clarification of Optimal Anticoagulation Through Genetics (COAG)

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Accession Number
HLB01331616a

Study Type
Clinical Trial

Collection Type
Open BioLINCC Study See bottom of this webpage for request information

Study Period
September 2009 – November 2013

NHLBI Division
DBDR

Dataset(s) Last Updated
January 3, 2018

Consent

Commercial Use Data Restrictions No

Data Restrictions Based On Area Of Research No

Commercial Use Specimen Restrictions Yes

Non-Genetic Use Specimen Restrictions Based On Area Of Use No

Genetic Use Of Specimens Allowed? Yes

Genetic Use Area Of Research Restrictions No

Specific Consent Restrictions
Some study participants gave consent to use of their biospecimens for commercial purposes.

Objectives

The COAG trial tested whether genotype-guided dosing of warfarin improves anticoagulation control during the first 4 weeks of therapy when compared to clinical-guided dosing.

Background

Warfarin is highly efficacious at preventing thromboembolism, a condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Individuals taking warfarin require dosage adjustments to maintain a therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR), particularly at the beginning of therapy. Out of range INR can increase risk of thromboembolism, bleeding, and early discontinuation of a highly useful therapy. Genotype-guided dosing of warfarin may be a more effective way of dosing warfarin when compared to only using clinical information. Observational studies have identified two genes, CYP2C9 and VKORC1, that are associated with variation in warfarin maintenance doses. Prior to the COAG trial, the effectiveness of genotype-guided dosing of warfarin had been limited to small clinical trials or observational studies, with equivocal results. Therefore comparison of the two strategies was needed to determine if use of genetic information is more effective in warfarin dosing than using clinical information.

Subjects

Participants were adults initiating warfarin therapy with a target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2 to 3 and an expected duration of therapy of at least 1 month. Exclusion criteria included current warfarin use, prior warfarin therapy with a known stable dose, and abnormal baseline INR (off warfarin). A total of 1015 subjects were enrolled in the study.

Design

The COAG study was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial that compared two approaches to guiding warfarin therapy initiation. Subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a dosing strategy during the first 5 days of warfarin therapy. For each dosing strategy, a dose-initiation algorithm was used during the first 3 days of therapy, and a dose-revision algorithm was used on day 4, 5, or both. The algorithms for the genotype-guided dosing strategy included clinical variables and genotype data for CYP2C92, CYP2C93, and VKORC1. The algorithms for the clinically based dosing strategy included clinical variables only. If genotype information was not available for a patient in the genotype-guided dosing group before the administration of warfarin on any given day in the first 5 days, the clinical algorithm was used on that day.

During the first 4 weeks of therapy, patients and clinicians were unaware of the actual dose of warfarin that was administered. After the 5-day initiation period, dosage was adjusted during the first 4 weeks using standardized dose-adjustment techniques, starting with the doses predicted by the algorithms and making the same relative adjustments on the basis of the INR in the two study groups. Clinicians were informed of the relative dose change at each INR measurement but not the actual dose of warfarin. Subjects were to be followed for a total of 6 months.

The primary outcome was the percentage of time that the subject’s INR was in the therapeutic range (2 to 3) from the completion of the intervention period (day 4 or 5) through day 28 of therapy. Secondary outcomes included a composite outcome of any INR of 4 or more, major bleeding, or thromboembolism in the first 4 weeks.

Conclusions

Genotype-guided dosing of warfarin did not improve anticoagulation control during the first 4 weeks of therapy.

N Engl J Med. 2013 Dec 12; 369(24): 2283–2293.

Additional Details

Subjects:

882 subjects (444 Genotype-Guided, 438 Clinically-Guided)

Age:
  Genotype-Guided Clinically-Guided All
<30 35 26 61
30-39 39 42 81
40-49 54 80 134
50-59 106 99 205
60-69 100 90 190
70-79 71 67 138
80+ 39 34 73
 
Sex:
  Genotype-Guided Clinically-Guided All
Male 235 216 451
Female 209 222 431
 
Race:
  Genotype-Guided Clinically-Guided All
AA only 114 115 229
White only 313 297 610
Asian only 6 10 16
Other 11 16 27
 

Please note that biospecimen availability is subject to review by the NHLBI, BioLINCC, and the NHLBI Biorepository. Certain biospecimens may not be made available for your request. Section 3 of the BioLINCC handbook describes the components of the review process

Material Types:

DNA

General Freeze/Thaw Status:

All samples have 0 thaws

Visits (Vials):
  DNA
Baseline 2455
 
Visits (Subjects):
  DNA
Total number of subjects Average vials per subject
Baseline 828 2.96
 

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Resources Available

Specimens and Study Datasets

Study Documents

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