Bivalirudin Bivalirudin Bivalirudin (Angiomax or Angiox, manufactured by The Medicines Company) is a direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI). Chemically, it is a synthetic congener of the naturally occurring drug hirudin (found in the saliva of the medicinal leech "Hirudo medicinalis"). Bivalirudin is a DTI that overcomes many limitations seen with indirect thrombin inhibitors, such as heparin. Bivalirudin is a short, synthetic peptide. It is a potent and highly specific inhibitor of thrombin. It inhibits both circulating and clot-bound thrombin, while also inhibiting thrombin-mediated platelet activation and aggregation. Bivalirudin has a quick onset of action and a short half-life. It does not bind
Venoms in medicine pharmacology) or target directed assays to identify their biological target and mechanism of action (reverse pharmacology). In this way, toxic venomous poisons may be a starting point for a therapeutic drug. Venoms are naturally occurring substances that organisms evolved to deploy against other organisms, in defense or attack. They are often mixtures of proteins that act together or singly to attack their specific targets within the organism against which they are used, generally with high specificity and generally easily accessible through the vascular system. This has made venoms a subject of study for people who work in drug discovery. With