New Oral Antiplatelet Agents / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Antiplatelet agents play an essential role in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Aspirin and thienopyridines comprise the major classes of antiplatelet therapies demonstrated to be of benefit in the treatment of ACS. Thienopyridines are a class of drugs that function via inhibition of the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) P2Y12 platelet receptors. While clopidogrel remains in extensive use in clinical practice, it cannot meet the needs in many clinical conditions because of its pharmacological limitations. In recent years, newly developed P2Y12 antagonists, such as prasugrel and ticagrelor, have proven to be of higher efficacy and less resistance. As a third generation thienopyridine, prasugrel exerts a much more rapid and consistent inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation than clopidogrel. Treatment with ticagrelor, nonthienopyridine oral antiplatelet drug, significantly reduced the rate of death from vascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke without an increase in the rate of overall major bleeding as compared with clopidogrel. The present review aims to discuss the current knowledge on the safety and efficacy of new oral antiplatelet agents including prasugrel and ticagrelor.