Translational Success Stories

Anticoagulants are the cornerstone of therapy for conditions associated with arterial and venous thrombosis. Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) are anticoagulants that bind to thrombin and block its enzymatic activity. The bivalent parenteral DTIs hirudin and bivalirudin were based on the observation that the salivary extracts of medicinal leeches prevented blood from clotting. Key events that facilitated the subsequent development of small …