ABSTRACT
The efficacy of anticoagulant treatment for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders has been well established. For decades, the anticoagulant compounds used most often for venous thromboembolism (VTE) were unfractionated heparin (UFH) and lowmolecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for the initial treatment, and vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for long-term treatment (1). All these agents have disadvantages. In particular, VKA and UFH have unpredictable pharmacokinetics, and, as a consequence, they produced a highly variable anticoagulant response that necessitates frequent monitoring to prevent both under-or overdosing. In addition, heparins are derived from animal tissue and can cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). These features prompted the development of new synthetic, more selective, anticoagulant compounds. Currently, numerous new molecules are being evaluated for efficacy and safety in the treatment of thrombosis.
