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Eptifibatide

Written by The Peptide Record editorialClinical review not yet completedLast reviewed 15 September 2026

Eptifibatide (Integrilin) is a real, FDA-approved cyclic peptide antiplatelet drug derived from snake venom, used in acute coronary syndrome and coronary stenting — a brand that GSK discontinued in 2023, though the generic drug itself remains widely available.

On this page
  1. A peptide derived from snake venom
  2. The approval and two pivotal trials
  3. Safety
  4. Current status

In brief

Should you care? Only relevant in the context of acute coronary syndrome or coronary stenting — a hospital-only antiplatelet drug with no wellness angle.

The short version

  • A cyclic heptapeptide whose active structure was derived from barbourin, a venom peptide from the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake.
  • PURSUIT trial (1998): a real, modest reduction in death or MI at 30 days (14.2% vs. 15.7%, p=0.04).
  • The Integrilin brand is gone — GSK discontinued it in November 2023 — but generic eptifibatide remains widely available.

A peptide derived from snake venom

Eptifibatide is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide that reversibly blocks the platelet glycoprotein GPIIb/IIIa receptor, preventing the fibrinogen cross-linking that clumps platelets together. Its active structure was derived from barbourin, a naturally occurring GPIIb/IIIa-blocking peptide found in the venom of the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake — a "peptide from nature" origin story that parallels bivalirudin's leech-derived lineage elsewhere on this site.

The approval and two pivotal trials

Eptifibatide (as Integrilin) became available in the US market in 1998, approved for acute coronary syndrome (including patients managed medically or with angioplasty) and for patients undergoing coronary stenting. The PURSUIT trial (PMID 9705684, N Engl J Med 1998), 10,948 patients with acute coronary syndrome without persistent ST-elevation, found death or nonfatal MI at 30 days in 14.2% of the eptifibatide group versus 15.7% on placebo (p=0.04) — a real but modest benefit, at the cost of more bleeding and blood transfusions. A second trial, ESPRIT (PMID 11145489, Lancet 2000), 2,064 patients undergoing planned coronary stenting, established the double-bolus dosing regimen still used today and found a substantial reduction in ischemic complications of stenting with that regimen compared to placebo.

Safety

The main risk, as with any antiplatelet agent, is bleeding. Rare cases of profound thrombocytopenia have been reported, but we found no evidence of a current FDA boxed warning specific to eptifibatide.

Current status

GSK discontinued manufacturing of all branded Integrilin formulations, effective November 2023, citing a supply issue with the active ingredient rather than a safety concern. The brand name is now effectively gone from the US market, but the drug itself remains widely available: generic eptifibatide has been sold since 2015 (Teva, Dr. Reddy's, and others), and Avenacy launched an additional generic version in April 2024. Hospital cath-lab-only use, no wellness or grey-market presence.

References

  1. "Inhibition of Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa with Eptifibatide in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes" (PURSUIT trial), N Engl J Med 1998;339(7):436-443, PMID 9705684.
  2. "Novel dosing regimen of eptifibatide in planned coronary stent implantation (ESPRIT): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial," Lancet 2000;356(9247):2037-2044, PMID 11145489.
  3. GSK discontinuation of Integrilin, effective November 2023. Avenacy generic eptifibatide launch, April 2024.