FXa Direct Synthetic Inhibitors

Abstract

Factor Xa (FXa) is an enzyme belonging to the serine protease family which plays a vital role in hemostasis, being an essential part in the blood-cloting cascade by catalyzing the thrombin and clot production, and wound closure. Moreover, the improvement of new anticoagulants drugs is essential to prevent cardiovascular thrombotic and patholo- gies. FXa has been a main target for the design of new drugs with important antithrom- botic action; nevertheless direct FXa inhibitors that are available still have side efects and drawbacks. This chapter describes the FXa function in the blood-cloting cascade, the molecular and structural characteristics of this essential enzyme, and the novel FXa synthetic drug characteristics. This chapter highlights the importance of continuing the eforts towards searching and designing novel and safer anticoagulant drugs.