ultravariegin

Ultravariegin is a next-generation, tick transcriptome-derived direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) peptide developed by the National University of Singapore. It was optimized from variegin, a peptide originally isolated from the salivary glands of the tropical bont tick (*Amblyomma variegatum*). Ultravariegin binds to thrombin with picomolar affinity ($K_i \approx 4\text{ pM}$), demonstrating high selectivity for thrombin over other clotting factors. In preclinical models of thrombosis, ultravariegin effectively inhibits blood clot formation with a significantly wider therapeutic window and lower bleeding risk compared to standard anticoagulants like heparin and bivalirudin. To address its short in vivo half-life, PEGylated formulations (such as UV-PEG10k) have been developed to prolong circulation time. It is being investigated for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders, including COVID-19-associated coagulopathy.

Other names

UV