Lepirudin
Lepirudin is a pharmaceutical drug that acts as an anticoagulant, specifically functioning as a direct thrombin inhibitor. It is used in the prevention and treatment of thrombotic events.
Brand and Generic Names[edit | edit source]
- Brand Name: Refludan
- Generic Name: Lepirudin rDNA for injection
Chemical Composition[edit | edit source]
Lepirudin is a recombinant version of hirudin, which is naturally found in the saliva of the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis)[1]. The recombinant version is derived from yeast cells. Its structure is almost identical to the natural hirudin except for two modifications:
- Substitution of leucine for isoleucine at the N-terminal end
- Absence of a sulfate group on the tyrosine at position 63
Medical Use[edit | edit source]
Lepirudin is primarily employed as an anticoagulant in cases where patients exhibit heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. In such cases, traditional anticoagulants such as heparin (unfractionated or low-molecular-weight) may be contraindicated.
Market Withdrawal[edit | edit source]
In 2012, Bayer, the pharmaceutical company producing Lepirudin, announced its decision to cease its production. As of May 31, 2012, Lepirudin (Refludan) was no longer available in the market[2].
References[edit | edit source]
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD