enoxaparin

Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin used as anticoagulant medication to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) including during pregnancy and following certain types of surgery. Enoxaparin is a depolymerized derivative of Unfractionated heparin produced by controlled depolymerization using alkaline hydrolysis of the heparin benzylic ester. Like Unfractionated heparin, its major anticoagulant effect is mediated by interaction with antithrombin III, which in turn inactivates serine proteases like factors IIa (thrombin), IXa and Xa. Therefore, enoxaparin indirectly inhibits the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin and reduces the thrombin-mediated conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, thus preventing clot formation. Among parenteral anticoagulants, enoxaparin stands out for certain major advantages: rapid onset of action, higher bioavailability, once- or twice-daily dosing that can be administered by patients at home without any need for monitoring, and no reported association with catheter thrombosis. Enoxaparin has been shown to be a safe and effective drug in a wide variety of thromboembolic conditions, and two decades of available data have undoubtedly inspired significant confidence. Although these properties make it a preferred option in a wide range of clinical disorders, lack of reliable antidote and accumulation in renal dysfunction are major concerns associated with its use, which are shared, apart from Unfractionated heparin, by most other available anticoagulants. — NCATS