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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
11:17
Rapid Point-of-Care Assay of Enoxaparin Anticoagulant Efficacy in Whole Blood
Published on: October 12, 2012
Orally active heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin
G F Pineo1, R D Hull, V J Marder
1Thrombosis Research Unit, Foothills Hospital, University of Calgary, 1403 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2T9, Canada. pineo@ucalgary.ca
Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
|October 5, 2001
Summary
Oral heparin formulations, including SNAC-heparin, show promise for preventing blood clots. A Phase III trial is evaluating oral SNAC heparin against subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Thrombosis Research
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Heparins, including unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH), are standard treatments for thromboembolic disorders.
- The increasing use of LMWH outside hospitals necessitates orally available antithrombotic agents with minimal monitoring.
- Oral heparin has demonstrated antithrombotic effects in animal models, despite minimal changes in plasma coagulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered SNAC-heparin compared to standard subcutaneous heparin.
- To investigate the potential of SNAC as an absorption enhancer for oral heparin delivery.
- To assess SNAC-heparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.
Main Methods:
- Phase II study assessing two doses of SNAC-heparin against subcutaneous UFH in total hip replacement patients.
- Ongoing Phase III clinical trial comparing oral SNAC-heparin with subcutaneous LMWH for venous thromboembolism prevention in total hip replacement patients.
Main Results:
- Phase II study indicated that SNAC-heparin was as effective and safe as subcutaneous UFH.
- Oral SNAC-heparin demonstrated significant absorption enhancement compared to UFH alone.
Conclusions:
- SNAC-heparin represents a promising orally available anticoagulant option.
- Further clinical trials are crucial to establish the role of oral SNAC-heparin in routine clinical practice for thromboembolism prevention.
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