Eptifibatide
Also sold as: Eptifibatide
Related Medications
These drugs share a pharmacologic classification but are NOT interchangeable. Listing here does not imply clinical equivalence. A physician must evaluate each drug individually for the patient's specific condition.
Classification: Decreased Platelet Aggregation (source: RxClass/NLM)
- ticagrelorDecreased Platelet AggregationSame Class
- cangrelorDecreased Platelet AggregationSame Class
- clopidogrelDecreased Platelet AggregationSame Class
- prasugrelDecreased Platelet AggregationSame Class
- ticlopidinePlatelet Aggregation InhibitorSame Class
- aspirinPlatelet Aggregation InhibitorSame Class
- vorapaxarPlatelet Aggregation InhibitorSame Class
- dipyridamolePlatelet Aggregation InhibitorSame Class
- tirofibanPlatelet Aggregation InhibitorSame Class
Insurance Coverage User-Reported
No community coverage data yet for eptifibatide.
Coverage data submission coming soon.
Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action Eptifibatide reversibly inhibits platelet aggregation by preventing the binding of fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and other adhesive ligands to GP IIb/IIIa. When administered intravenously, eptifibatide inhibits ex vivo platelet aggregation in a dose- and concentration-dependent manner. Platelet aggregation inhibition is reversible following cessation of the eptifibatide infusion; this is thought to result from dissociation of eptifibatide from the platelet.
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Eptifibatide injection is a platelet aggregation inhibitor indicated for: Treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) managed medically or with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (1.1) Treatment of patients undergoing PCI (including intracoronary stenting) (1.2) 1.1 Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Eptifibatide injection is indicated to decrease the rate of a combined endpoint of death or new myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with ACS (unstable angina [UA]/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI]), including patients who are to be managed medically and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 1.2 Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Eptifibatide injection is indicated to decrease the rate of a combined endpoint of death, new MI, or need for urgent intervention in patients undergoing PCI, including those undergoing intracoronary stenting [see Clinical Studies (14.1, 14.2) ] .
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Before infusion of eptifibatide, the following laboratory tests should be performed to identify pre-existing hemostatic abnormalities: hematocrit or hemoglobin, platelet count, serum creatinine, and PT/aPTT. In patients undergoing PCI, the activated clotting time (ACT) should also be measured. The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) should be maintained between 50 and 70 seconds unless PCI is to be performed. In patients treated with heparin, bleeding can be minimized by close monitoring of the aPTT and ACT. ACS or PCI: 180 mcg/kg I.V. bolus as soon as possible after diagnosis followed by infusion at 2 mcg/kg/min. (2.1 , 2.2) PCI: Add a second 180 mcg/kg bolus at 10 minutes. (2.2) In patients with creatinine clearance less than 50 mL/min, reduce the infusion to 1 mcg/kg/min. ( 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3 ) 2.1 Dosage in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Indication Normal Renal Function Creatinine Clearance less than 50 mL/min Patients with ACS 180 mcg/kg intravenous (I.V.) bolus as soon as possible after diagnosis, followed by continuous infusion of 2 mcg/kg/min 180 mcg/kg I.V. bolus as soon as possible after diagnosis, followed by continuous infusion of 1 mcg/kg/min Infusion should continue until hospital discharge or initiation of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), up to 72 hours If a patient is to undergo PCI, the infusion should be continued until hospital discharge or for up to 18 to 24 hours after the procedure, whichever comes first, allowing for up to 96 hours of therapy Aspirin, 160 to 325 mg, should be given daily Eptifibatide injection should be given concomitantly with heparin dosed to achieve the following parameters: During Medical Management : Target aPTT 50 to 70 seconds If weight greater than or equal to 70 kg, 5,000 units bolus followed by infusion of 1,000 units/h. If weight less than 70 kg, 60 units/kg bolus followed by infusion of 12 units/kg/h. During PCI : Target ACT 200 to 300 seconds If heparin is initiated prior to PCI, additional boluses during PCI to maintain an ACT target of 200 to 300 seconds. Heparin infusion after the PCI is discouraged. 2.2 Dosage in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Indication Normal Renal Function Creatinine Clearance less than 50 mL/min Patients with PCI 180 mcg/kg I.V. bolus immediately before PCI followed by continuous infusion of 2 mcg/kg/min and a second bolus of 180 mcg/kg (given 10 minutes after the first bolus) 180 mcg/kg I.V. bolus immediately before PCI followed by continuous infusion of 1 mcg/kg/min and a second bolus of 180 mcg/kg (given 10 minutes after the first bolus) Infusion should be continued until hospital discharge, or for up to 18 to 24 hours, whichever comes first. A minimum of 12 hours of infusion is recommended. In patients who undergo CABG surgery, eptifibatide infusion should be discontinued prior to surgery. Aspirin, 160 to 325 mg, should be given 1 to 24 hours prior to PCI and daily thereafter. Eptifibatide injection should be given concomitantly with heparin to achieve a target ACT of 200 to 300 seconds. Administer 60 units/kg bolus initially in patients not treated with heparin within 6 hours prior to PCI. Additional boluses during PCI to maintain ACT within target. Heparin infusion after the PCI is strongly discouraged. Patients requiring thrombolytic therapy should discontinue eptifibatide injection. 2.3 Important Administration Instructions Inspect eptifibatide injection for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. May administer eptifibatide injection in the same intravenous line as alteplase, atropine, dobutamine, heparin, lidocaine, meperidine, metoprolol, midazolam, morphine, nitroglycerin, or verapamil. Do not administer eptifibatide injection through the same intravenous line as furosemide. May administer eptifibatide injection in the same I.V. line with 0.9% NaCl or 0.9% NaCl/5% dextrose. With either vehicle, the infusion may also contain up to 60 mEq/L of potassium chloride. Withdraw the bolus dose(s) of eptifibatide injection from the 10 mL vial into a syringe. Administer the bolus dose(s) by I.V. push. Immediately following the bolus dose administration, initiate a continuous infusion of eptifibatide. When using an intravenous infusion pump, administer eptifibatide injection undiluted directly from the 100 mL vial. Spike the 100 mL vial with a vented infusion set. Center the spike within the circle on the stopper top. Discard any unused portion left in the vial. Administer eptifibatide injection by volume according to patient weight (see Table 1). Table 1: Eptifibatide Injection Dosing Charts by Weight Patient Weight 180 mcg/kg Bolus Volume 2 mcg/kg/min Infusion Volume (CrCl greater than or equal to 50 mL/min) 1 mcg/kg/min Infusion Volume (CrCl less than 50 mL/min) (kg) (lb) (from 2 mg/mL vial) (from 2 mg/mL 100 mL vial) (from 0.75 mg/mL 100 mL vial) (from 2 mg/mL 100 mL vial) (from 0.75 mg/mL 100 mL vial) 37 to 41
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reaction is also discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Bleeding [see Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Bleeding and hypotension are the most commonly reported adverse reactions. (6.1) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Eugia US LLC at 1-866-850-2876 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. A total of 16,782 patients were treated in the Phase III clinical trials (PURSUIT, ESPRIT, and IMPACT II) [see Clinical Studies (14) ] . These 16,782 patients had a mean age of 62 years (range: 20 to 94 years). Eighty-nine percent of the patients were Caucasian, with the remainder being predominantly Black (5%) and Hispanic (5%). Sixty-eight percent were men. Because of the different regimens used in PURSUIT, IMPACT II, and ESPRIT, data from the 3 studies were not pooled. Bleeding and hypotension were the most commonly reported adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and greater than placebo) in the eptifibatide controlled clinical trial database. Bleeding The incidence of bleeding and transfusions in the PURSUIT and ESPRIT studies are shown in Table 2. Bleeding was classified as major or minor by the criteria of the TIMI study group. Major bleeding consisted of intracranial hemorrhage and other bleeding that led to decreases in hemoglobin greater than 5 g/dL. Minor bleeding included spontaneous gross hematuria, spontaneous hematemesis, other observed blood loss with a hemoglobin decrease of more than 3 g/dL, and other hemoglobin decreases that were greater than 4 g/dL but less than 5 g/dL. In patients who received transfusions, the corresponding loss in hemoglobin was estimated through an adaptation of the method of Landefeld et al. Table 2: Bleeding and Transfusions in the PURSUIT and ESPRIT Studies Note: Denominator is based on patients for whom data are available. * For major and minor bleeding, patients are counted only once according to the most severe classification. † Includes transfusions of whole blood, packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, platelets, and autotransfusion during the initial hospitalization. PURSUIT (ACS) Placebo n (%) Eptifibatide 180/2 n (%) Patients 4696 4679 Major bleeding * 425 (9.3%) 498 (10.8%) Minor bleeding * 347 (7.6%) 604 (13.1%) Requiring transfusions † 490 (10.4%) 601 (12.8%) ESPRIT (PCI) Placebo n (%) Eptifibatide 180/2/180 n (%) Patients 1024 1040 Major bleeding * 4 (0.4%) 13 (1.3%) Minor bleeding * 18 (2%) 29 (3%) Requiring transfusions † 11 (1.1%) 16 (1.5%) The majority of major bleeding reactions in the ESPRIT study occurred at the vascular access site (1 and 8 patients, or 0.1% and 0.8% in the placebo and eptifibatide groups, respectively). Bleeding at “other” locations occurred in 0.2% and 0.4% of patients, respectively. In the PURSUIT study, the greatest increase in major bleeding in eptifibatide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients was also associated with bleeding at the femoral artery access site (2.8% versus 1.3%). Oropharyngeal (primarily gingival), genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and retroperitoneal bleeding were also seen more commonly in eptifibatide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients. Among patients experiencing a major bleed in the IMPACT II study, an increase in bleeding on eptifibatide versus placebo was observed only for the femoral artery access site (3.2% versus 2.8%). Table 3 displays the incidence of TIMI major bleeding according to the cardiac procedures carried out in the PURSUIT study. The most common bleeding complications were related to cardiac revascularization (CABG-related or femoral artery access site bleeding). A corresponding table for ESPRIT is not presented, as every patient underwent PCI in the ESPRIT study and only 11 patients underwent CABG. Table 3: Major Bleeding by Procedures in the PURSUIT Study Note: Denominators are based on the total number of patients whose TIMI classification was resolved. Placebo n (%) Eptifibatide 180/2 n (%) Patients 4577 4604 Overall incidence of major bleeding 425 (9.3%) 498 (10.8%) Breakdown by procedure: CABG 375 (8.2%) 377 (8.2%) Angioplasty without CABG 27 (0.6%) 64 (1.4%) Angiography without angioplasty or CABG 11 (0.2%) 29 (0.6%) Medical therapy only 12 (0.3%) 28 (0.6%) In the PURSUIT and ESPRIT studies, the risk of major bleeding with eptifibatide increased as patient weight decreased. This relationship was most apparent for patients weighing less than 70 kg. Bleeding resulting in discontinuation of the study drug was more frequent among patients receiving eptifibatide than placebo (4.6% versus 0.9% in ESPRIT, 8% versus 1% in PURSUIT, 3.5% versus 1.9% in IMPA
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Coadministration of antiplatelet agents, thrombolytics, heparin, aspirin, and chronic NSAID use increases the risk of bleeding. Avoid concomitant use with other glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors. (7.1) 7.1 Use of Thrombolytics, Anticoagulants, and Other Antiplatelet Agents Coadministration of antiplatelet agents, thrombolytics, heparin, aspirin, and chronic NSAID use increases the risk of bleeding. Concomitant treatment with other inhibitors of platelet receptor GP IIb/IIIa should be avoided.
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Treatment with eptifibatide injection is contraindicated in patients with: A history of bleeding diathesis, or evidence of active abnormal bleeding within the previous 30 days Severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure >200 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >110 mm Hg) not adequately controlled on antihypertensive therapy Major surgery within the preceding 6 weeks History of stroke within 30 days or any history of hemorrhagic stroke Current or planned administration of another parenteral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor Dependency on renal dialysis Hypersensitivity to eptifibatide injection or any component of the product (hypersensitivity reactions that occurred included anaphylaxis and urticaria) Bleeding diathesis or bleeding within the previous 30 days (4) Severe uncontrolled hypertension (4) Major surgery within the preceding 6 weeks (4) Stroke within 30 days or any history of hemorrhagic stroke (4) Coadministration of another parenteral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor (4) Dependency on renal dialysis (4) Known hypersensitivity to any component of the product (4)
Verify with Primary Sources
Always verify clinical information with authoritative sources.
Medical Disclaimer: Information on this page is sourced from FDA-approved labeling data and is for educational reference only. It does not constitute medical advice. This information does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Always verify with current prescribing information and consult a licensed healthcare professional before any clinical decision. Read full disclaimer.
Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.