Current status on new anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs and devices.

Several new drugs for the management of thromboembolic disorders have recently become available. Low-molecular-weight heparins are being evaluated for the prophylaxis of medical and surgical deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; for the treatment of pre-existing thrombosis; and for cases of coronary syndrome (unstable angina, myocardial infarction), thrombotic and ischemic stroke, interventional cardiology, pregnancy, cancer, and transplantation-associated thrombosis. A chemically synthesized heparin pentasaccharide, which has purely anti-factor Xa activity and does not induce thrombocytopenia, is also in clinical trial. Thrombin inhibitors, such as hirudin and argatroban, are a practical anticoagulant substitute where heparin cannot be used. They are also useful for the management of coronary syndrome and as adjunct therapy. The antiplatelet agent ticlopidine and its analogue, clopidogrel, which does not produce blood dyscrasia, are effective for the secondary prevention of thrombotic stroke and the management of combined arterial thrombotic syndromes. Glycoprotein-targeting antibodies, synthetic derivatives, and peptides (some of which are orally bioavailable) have added a new dimension to the management of arterial thrombosis and high-risk patients having angioplasty. Plasma-derived agents, such as antithrombin III, are available for the management of thrombophilia and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Compression devices and the foot pump, alone and in combination with pharmacologic agents, have been used successfully. Combination therapy using various agents in different proportions have also been found useful. Although there is much enthusiasm in this quickly developing area and clinical trials are demonstrating the antithrombotic efficacy of the new drugs, safety considerations require additional clinical validation. Long-term outcomes and costs also need to be addressed objectively.