Last update June 4, 2024

Argatroban

Likely Compatibility

Fairly safe. Mild or unlikely adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Read Commentary.

Argatroban is a synthetic direct thrombin inhibitor with anticoagulant and antiplatelet activity used for the prevention and treatment of heparin-related thrombosis. Intravenous administration.

At the time of the last update, we found no published data on its excretion in breast milk.

Being a tripeptide or peptidomimetic compound derived from L-Arginine, it has zero oral bioavailability due to poor enteral absorption, since, due to its protein nature, it is degraded in the gastrointestinal tract, not being absorbed and to presystemic hepatic extraction (Hauptmann 2002), which hinders its passage to infant plasma from ingested breast milk. 

Its short half-life allows minimizing risks, waiting 3-4 hours until breastfeeding is resumed.

Alternatives

  • Acenocoumarol (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Heparin (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Lepirudin (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Rivaroxaban (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Warfarin (Safe product and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

Your contribution is essential for this service to continue to exist. We need the generosity of people like you who believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

Thank you for helping to protect and promote breastfeeding.

José María Paricio, founder of e-lactancia.

Group

Argatroban belongs to this group or family:

Tradenames

Main tradenames from several countries containing Argatroban in its composition:

Pharmacokinetics

Variable Value Unit
Oral Bioavail. ≈ 0 %
Molecular weight 509 daltons
Protein Binding 54 %
VD 0.17 l/Kg
pKa 3.06 -
Tmax 1 - 3 hours
0.6 - 0.9 hours

References

  1. [No authors listed] Argatroban: for a few selected patients. Prescrire Int. 2013 Abstract
  2. Yurdakök M. Fetal and neonatal effects of anticoagulants used in pregnancy: a review. Turk J Pediatr. 2012 Abstract
  3. Walenga JM. An overview of the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb. 2002 Abstract Full text (in our servers)
  4. Hauptmann J. Pharmacokinetics of an emerging new class of anticoagulant/antithrombotic drugs. A review of small-molecule thrombin inhibitors. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Jan;57(11):751-8. Review. Abstract

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