The pharmacology of recombinant hirudin, a new anticoagulant
Meyer, B.H.; Luus, H.G.; Müller, F.O.; Badenhorst, P.N.; Röthig, H.J.
South African Medical Journal 78(5): 268-270
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 2392724 Document Number: 347803
A new anticoagulant, recombinant hirudin, was given to healthy volunteers (5 per test dose) in single intravenous doses of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.07 and 0.1 mg/kg to study its anticoagulant effects, how it was tolerated and its pharmacokinetics. Hirudin proved to be a potent anticoagulant with important effects on thrombin (increase in thrombin time and partial thromboplastin time). The maximum pharmacodynamic effect was achieved with the 0.07 mg/kg dose, and upwards. All doses of the compound were tolerated without side-effects. The mean elimination half-life is about 1 hour. Mean total clearance and volume of distribution are approximately 190 ml/min and 14 l, respectively. Hirudin obeys first-order pharmacokinetics.