Novel antithrombotic therapeutics targeted against platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa.

Platelet aggregation is one of the best understood examples of adhesive cell-cell interactions. The platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa membrane receptor plays a pivotal role in platelet aggregation through its binding of fibrinogen. It is intimately involved in the pathogenesis of platelet-rich arterial thromboses. The IIb/IIIa receptor is an important target for recently described novel antiplatelet therapeutics. The development and clinical evaluation of this class of antiplatelet therapeutics are reviewed in this article.