Abciximab (Reopro): a clinically effective glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blocker

Acute coronary syndromes are responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of patients every year. Rupture of coronary atheromatous plaques with resultant luminal thrombosis is the cause in most cases. Although great steps forward have been taken in the management of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and unstable angina (UA), new therapeutic strategies are required to reduce further the incidence and risk of these events. At present, aspirin, nitrates and heparin are the conventional treatments for unstable angina. Aspirin, in combination with a thrombolytic agent or with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), has been shown to be effective in reducing mortality in acute MI. Heparin is conventionally used in all PTCA procedures, whereas its efficacy in enhancing the therapeutic role of thrombolytic agents remains uncertain and may depend on the thrombolytic agent used. PTCA, which is also an effective therapy for stable angina, can be complicated by intimal dissection and thrombosis in a minority of cases, with vessel restenosis leading to recurrent symptoms in approximately 30% of cases. A number of new agents are being evaluated in both acute coronary syndromes and PTCA. These can be classified as adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonists, Factor Xa inhibitors (low-molecular weight heparin LMWH], direct thrombin inhibitors, new thrombolytic agents and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blockers. Of the latter, the most studied is abciximab, the Fab fragment of the chimeric monoclonal antibody, 7E3. This is a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation. Four major clinical studies of PTCA in high-risk patients have demonstrated clear efficacy of abciximab in reducing acute ischaemic complications, mainly by reducing the frequency of MI and the need for repeat revascularisation. Unlike other glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blockers, both short- and long-term efficacy have been demonstrated. Its impact on the rate of restenosis after PTCA is unclear. Abciximab's role in an era of intracoronary stent implantation is undergoing further study (with encouraging early results). Its role in other situations, such as the early (non-angioplasty) management of unstable angina and its ability to enhance the efficacy of thrombolytic agents, is under active investigation.