A synopsis of the clinical uses of argatroban

Argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, has been used in Japan since the early 1980's and was recently approved for use in the United States for patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. However, its use has been studied in other clinical settings including, myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention and cerebral thrombosis. The doses used in the different clinical situations vary, but argatroban offers the advantage of not requiring renal adjustment. Because of its small molecular weight, argatroban has the ability to inhibit both clot bound and soluble thrombin. This paper provides a comprehensive review of both indicated and off label uses of argatroban. Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, adverse events and drug interactions with argatroban are also discussed.