Inmedicine,glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, alsoGpIIb/IIIa inhibitors, is a class ofantiplatelet agents.
Several GpIIb/IIIa inhibitors exist:
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are frequently used duringpercutaneous coronary intervention (angioplasty with or without intracoronary stent placement).
They work by preventingplatelet aggregation andthrombus formation. They do so by inhibition of the GpIIb/IIIa receptor on the surface of theplatelets.
They may also be used to treat acute coronary syndromes, without percutaneous coronary intervention, depending onTIMI risk.
They should be given intravenously. The oral form is associated with increased mortality and hence should not be given.
In integrin nomenclature glycoprotein IIb/IIIa is called αIIbβ3.
Their development arose from the understanding ofGlanzmann's thrombasthenia, a condition in which the GpIIb/IIIa receptor is deficient or dysfunctional.[1]