Trial Design

DOI: 10.4244/EIJ-D-25-01307

No antithrombotic therapy versus single antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure in non-valvular atrial fibrillation: rationale and design of the multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority NAPT-LAAC trial

Toshiaki Otsuka1,2, MD; Masanori Yamamoto3, MD; Masahiko Asami4, MD; Toru Naganuma5, MD; Yohei Ohno6, MD; Tomoyuki Tani7, MD; Gaku Nakazawa8, MD; Masaki Izumo9, MD; Mike Saji10, MD; Daisuke Hachinohe11, MD; Hiroshi Ueno12, MD; Atsushi Sugiura13, MD; Tetsuro Shimura14, MD; Shinya Okazaki15, MD; Takao Morikawa16, MD; Yuki Izumi17, MD; Masaki Nakashima18, MD; Shunsuke Kubo19, MD; Shinichi Shirai20, MD; Yusuke Watanabe21, MD; Kentaro Hayashida22, MD; on behalf of the OCEAN-LAAC investigators

Abstract

The current standard regimen for antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) recommends long-term use of antiplatelet agents. However, this recommendation is not supported by sufficient clinical evidence. Since LAAC is a treatment option for managing patients at high risk of bleeding, it is necessary to clarify whether long-term antiplatelet therapy is truly required after LAAC. The Non-Antithrombotic Versus. Single antiPlatelet Therapy Following Left Atrial Appendage Closure (NAPT-LAAC) trial, a prospective, randomised, controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoint multicentre study, will be conducted in Japan. It was designed to evaluate whether non-antithrombotic therapy is non-inferior to antiplatelet monotherapy after 45 days of oral anticoagulant (OAC) monotherapy following LAAC, with respect to the incidence of thrombotic and bleeding composite events in patients with NVAF and high bleeding risk. Patients with NVAF with a CHA2DS2-VA score ≥2 and who successfully undergo LAAC are eligible for inclusion. A total of 500 patients undergoing LAAC will be randomised (1:1) to aspirin monotherapy versus non-antithrombotic therapy for the 45 days following OAC monotherapy. The primary outcome is a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, systemic embolism, major bleeding, and clinically relevant non-fatal bleeding during a maximum of 4 years of follow-up. Major bleeding or clinically relevant non-fatal bleeding is defined as Type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding, according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definition. The NAPT-LAAC trial will determine the probable non-inferiority of long-term non-antithrombotic therapy to aspirin monotherapy in patients with NVAF who undergo LAAC. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07125417; jRCTs031250110)

Sign in to read
the full article

Forgot your password?
No account yet?
Sign up for free!

Create my pcr account

Join us for free and access thousands of articles from EuroIntervention, as well as presentations, videos, cases from PCRonline.com

Volume 22 Number 8
Apr 20, 2026
Volume 22 Number 8
View full issue


Key metrics

Suggested by Cory

10.4244/EIJV16I9A129 Oct 9, 2020
Left atrial appendage closure – ready for widespread clinical use?
Widimský P and Osmancik P
free

CLINICAL RESEARCH

10.4244/EIJ-D-17-00901 Apr 6, 2018
Short-term dual antiplatelet therapy after interventional left atrial appendage closure with different devices
Weise FK et al
free

10.4244/EIJV11I14A307 Apr 8, 2016
Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion in 2016
Tzikas A et al
free

Clinical research

10.4244/EIJ-D-20-00201 Oct 9, 2020
Left atrial appendage closure versus medical therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: the APPLY study
Gloekler S et al
free

10.4244/EIJV15I17A271 Apr 17, 2020
Two sides of the coin
Holmes D and Alkhouli M
free

State-of-the-art

10.4244/EIJ-D-22-00627 Feb 6, 2023
Left atrial appendage occlusion
Holmes D et al
free
X

PCR
Impact factor: 9.5
2024 Journal Citation Reports®
Science Edition (Clarivate Analytics, 2025)
Online ISSN 1969-6213 - Print ISSN 1774-024X
© 2005-2026 Europa Group - All rights reserved