Eptifibatide: a cyclic peptide that selectively inhibits platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa

Platelets play a key role in the pathogenesis of coronary syndromes. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/ IIIa), also known as integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3), facilitates platelet aggregation through the binding of fibrinogen. In recent years, GPIIb/IIIa has become the target of new therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the efficacy of current antiplatelet therapy. Eptifibatide is a small cyclic heptapeptide that has shown high specificity and affinity for GPIIb/IIIa and has a short plasma half-life with a rapid onset of antiplatelet action and rapid reversibility of action when treatment is stopped. Two large clinical trials (IMPACT II and PURSUIT) have demonstrated that eptifibatide significantly reduced coronary events in patients without increasing the risk of bleeding complications. Eptifibatide appears to be a more refined alternative to current antithrombotic therapies.