Inhibition of Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa with Eptifibatide in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndromes, including acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina, result from the disruption of atherosclerotic plaque, leading to intracoronary thrombus formation with aggregated platelets within a fibrin mesh. 1 Standard therapy includes aspirin and heparin. Six randomized clinical trials 2 – 7 have shown that platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors, 8 – 10 given in addition to heparin and aspirin, reduce ischemic complications of percutaneous revascularization, particularly among patients with unstable angina. 4 , 11 – 13 Eptifibatide (Integrilin, COR Therapeutics, South San Francisco, Calif.), a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide, is a selective high-affinity inhibitor of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor. It produces dose-dependent ex vivo inhibition of . . .