title: Pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of drotrecogin alfa (activated).
abstract: The protein C pathway, which plays an important role in maintaining normal hemostasis and is a critical link between the inflammatory and procoagulant host responses to infection, is involved in modulating the coagulation and inflammation associated with severe sepsis. Recombinant human activated protein C (APC), or drotrecogin alfa (activated), shares the intrinsic pharmacologic activity of endogenous APC. In the Recombinant Human Activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) trial, drotrecogin alfa (activated) decreased absolute mortality by 6% and relative risk of mortality by 19% compared with placebo. Drotrecogin alfa (activated) is an important advancement in the treatment of adult patients with severe sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA. rudis@hsc.usc.edu
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rudis
authors.forename: Douglas N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Fish
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D006801:Humans; D011486:Protein C / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C421124:drotrecogin alfa activated