Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:dateCreated
2006-4-26
pubmed:abstractText
Medical needs associated with diverse thromboembolic conditions are not fully met by currently available anticoagulants. Of those, unfractionated heparin (UFH) is gradually replaced by low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and acute coronary syndromes, along with supportive treatment with oral anticoagulants, such as warfarin derivatives. While generally effective these agents have several shortcomings involving compliance, delivery, efficacy and safety considerations in various disease settings, and for these reasons new anticoagulants are sought, to target more specifically the critical effectors and steps in the blood coagulation process, namely: (i) initiation, (ii) propagation and (iii) the phase of thrombin activity. The emerging agents that block tissue factor/factor VIIa-dependent initiation phase of the coagulation cascade, include: recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (rTFPI), nematode anticoagulant peptide (NAPc2), active site-blocked factor VIIa (FVIIai) and TF targeting antibodies. Some of them are currently evaluated in clinical trials with promising results. Propagation phase of thrombus formation (e.g. the activity of factors IXa, Xa, VIIIa or Va) is targeted mainly by various indirect, direct and bimodal inhibitors, such as fondaparinux, indraparinux, tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP), antistatin (ANT) and antithrombin-heparin covalent complex (ATH), all endowed mostly with an anti-Xa activity. Although promising, some of these agents (TAP, ANT and ATH) have not progressed beyond animal testing while others (fondaparinux) was already assessed for prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and for treatment of arterial thrombosis. Lastly, inhibitors of thrombin activity are composed of either indirect (UFH, LMWH), or direct thrombin (FIIa) inhibitors including: hirudin, argatroban, melagatran, ximelagatran, dabigatran, and bivalirudin. These agents are either in advanced development or already approved for clinical use. Bimodal FIIa inhibitory activity of ATH was demonstrated in animal models of venous and arterial thrombosis, but is in need of further development. In conclusion, while some of these emerging anticoagulants, such as fondaparinux, idraparinux, ximelagatran and ATH appear to possess superior efficacy-safety profile, as compared to their conventional predecessors (UFH, LMWH and warfarin), their cost-effectiveness, side effects and antidote availability have to be considered. More importantly, coagulation factors that are targets of these inhibitory activities also affect coagulation independent processes, such as wound healing, inflammation, angiogenesis, mitogenesis and cell survival. Thus the consequences of both coagulation-dependent and -independent effects of new agents should be carefully considered before proper clinical indications are established.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0042-773X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
52 Suppl 1
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
119-22
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2006
pubmed:articleTitle
Emerging anticoagulants: mechanism of action and future potential.
pubmed:affiliation
Henderson Research Centre and McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. pklement@thrombosis.hhscr.org
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review