A Review of Anfibatide Studies in Animal Models with Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and in Healthy Human

Abstract

Anfibatide is a synthetic antiplatelet thrombolysin derived from snake venom and is proposed to treat ischemic stroke and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Current standard treatments for ischemic stroke include the administration of rt-PA, a thrombolytic agent, or endovascular removal of thrombi. However, the post-treatments are often associated with the occlusion of vessels due to a lack of antiplatelet and unrecovered vessel injury. Anfibatide, as a GPIba antagonist that interrupts the initiation of platelet aggregation caused by GPIba-vWF binding, becomes a potential novel candidate for treating ischemic stroke due to its antiplatelet and antithrombosis effects. Key findings show that Anfibatide can significantly reduce microthrombus formation in cerebral vessels and reduce neuron apoptosis due to the release of pro-inflammatory mediators caused by ischemia or Ischemia-Reperfusion (I/R) injury. Significant improvement in neurological scores and reversal of brain structure alterations are observed in the Anfibatide-treated ischemic animal models. To facilitate the clinical development of Anfibatide, this paper aims to summarize the completed preclinical studies and the Phase I clinical trial results of anfibatide to evaluate the risks and therapeutic potentials of Anfibatide in ischemic patients.