Aggrastat®
Brand Name: Aggrastat®
Active Ingredient:   tirofiban hydrochloride
Strength(s): 50mcg/ml and 250 mcg/ml
Dosage Form(s):   Injection
Company Name:    Merck & Co., Inc.
Availability:         Prescription only
*Date Approved by FDA:   May 14, 1998
*Approval by FDA does not mean that the drug is available for consumers at this time.
What is Aggrastat used for? Aggrastat is used for patients having chest pain that lasts longer than typical angina and that is not controlled by the medicines that are usually effective for angina. Aggrastat prevents blood clots from forming, thereby reducing the number of patients having heart attacks or needing heart surgery.

Who should not be treated with Aggrastat? 

You should not be given Aggrastat if you ever had the following conditions:

  • Bleeding in the brain, brain tumor or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain
  • History of reduced number of platelets in the blood from prior treatment with Aggrastat

You should not be given Aggrastat if within the past 30 days you have had:

  • Medical diagnosis of internal bleeding or of unusual tendency toward bleeding
  • Medical diagnosis of stroke
  • Major surgery or trauma

You should also not be given Aggrastat if now:

  • Your doctor sees signs of ongoing injury to the aorta (the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart) or signs of pericarditis (inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart)
  • You have very high blood pressure (greater than 180/110)
  • You are being treated with eptifibatide (Integrilin)

General Precautions:

Aggrastat should be used with caution if you have a decreased blood platelet count or disease of the retina of the eye associated with bleeding.

What should I tell my doctor or health care provider?

Because certain medications can interact with Aggrastat, review all medications that you are taking with your doctor, including those that you take without a prescription. Tell your doctor if you are taking another drug that affects blood clotting such as Coumadin or warfain.

What are some possible side effects of Aggrastat? (This is NOT a complete list of side effects reported with Aggrastat. Your health care provider can discuss with you a more complete list of side effects.)

The most common complication reported during testing of the product was excessive bleeding. The increased bleeding is why some people (those who have had recent surgery, and other examples mentioned above) should not be given Aggrastat.

Other possible side effects occurring in at least 3% or more of the people studied:

  • Pelvic pain
  • Slow heart rate
  • Tear in the coronary artery
  • Leg pain
  • Dizziness

For more detailed information about Aggrastat, ask your health care provider.

Link to Aggrastat's label

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Revised 7/25/00