argatroban

Argatroban is a synthetic small molecule anticoagulant that acts as a direct, selective thrombin inhibitor. It is primarily used for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), a rare but serious complication of heparin therapy. Argatroban is also indicated for use during percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with or at risk for HIT. The drug exerts its anticoagulant effects by reversibly binding to the active site of thrombin, thereby inhibiting thrombin-catalyzed reactions such as fibrin formation, activation of coagulation factors V, VIII, and XIII, protein C activation, and platelet aggregation. Unlike heparin-based therapies, argatroban does not require antithrombin III as a co-factor and does not interact with heparin-induced antibodies[1][2][3][6][7][8].

Brand names

Acova

Other names

argatroban