[1] Eptifibatide is a cyclic heptapeptide derived from a disintegrin protein (P22827) found in the venom of the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri).

The drug is the third inhibitor of GPIIb/IIIa that has found broad acceptance after the specific antibody abciximab and the non-peptide tirofiban entered the global market.

Eptifibatide is used to reduce the risk of acute cardiac ischemic events (death and/or myocardial infarction) in patients with unstable angina or non-ST-segment-elevation (e.g., non-Q-wave) myocardial infarction (i.e., non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes) both in patients who are to receive non surgery (conservative) medical treatment and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

People receiving eptifibatide are typically seriously ill and most of them are concomitantly treated with other drugs known to have the potential to cause significant side effects.

Therefore, not all side effects listed as follows may be attributable to eptifibatide treatment alone: The major adverse event in the PURSUIT study was severe bleeding.

[2] Eptifibatide was discovered by a team led by Robert M. Scarborough[3] and David Phillips, at COR Therapeutics which was acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals in 2001.