Efegatran. Institute for drug research/IVAX.
Efegatran is a thrombin inhibitor which is being developed by IVAX for the potential treatment of thromboembolic disorders [343400]. Efegatran was synthesized by the Hungarian Institute for Drug Research (IDR), which conducted phase II trials for angina in Hungary, and phase II trials for thrombosis in collaboration with Lilly in the US [182552]. However, nodevelopment has been reported by Lilly since IDR was taken over by IVAX in 1999 [343400]. In phase I/II trials in patients with unstable angina, the drug produced a dose-dependent increase in clotting time [279819]. In preliminary dose-ranging trials in unstable angina, the compound had a similar efficacy to heparin at the highest dose studied (0.1mg/kg bolus plus a 48 h infusion of 0.84 mg/kg/h). Thrombophlebitis was the only side effect observed [169368].
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University of Leuven, Center for Molecular/Vascular Biology, Campus Gasthuisberg, O and N Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. roger.lijnen@med.kuleuven.ac.be