Abciximab is a prescription drug that belongs to the antiplatelet agent approved for its medical use on December 16, 1993.

Abciximab is indicated to be used as an adjunct therapy (treatment combined with the primary treatment) when you undergo coronary angioplasty surgery. The drug is administered intravenously, along with heparin and aspirin, to prevent cardiac complications during or after the surgery. It is also used in patients with unstable angina (a type of chest discomfort in which your heart doesn't get enough blood flow and oxygen) who are not responding to the usual therapy when the surgery is planned within 24 hours. 

The drug is available only in injectable 2 mg/ml dosage. The drug will be administered by a healthcare professional. Your physician will decide on the dose for administration.  If you are about to undergo an angioplasty operation, your doctor will give you the bolus injection 10 to 60 minutes before the operation begins. After the bolus injection, your doctor will start the infusion. The infusion will continue for 12 hours after the operation is completed. The recommended dose is 0.25 mg/kg IV bolus over at least 1 min, 10-60 min before the start of the surgery, then 0.125 mcg/kg/min IV continuous infusion for 12 hr; not to exceed infusion rate of 10 mcg/min to prevent the cardiac complications while undergoing surgery. The recommended dose for treating unstable angina planned for PCI surgery within 24 hours is 0.25 mg/kg IV bolus over at least 1 minute, then 0.125 mcg/kg/min IV continuous infusion for 18-24 hours, concluding 1-hour post-surgery.

The common side effects that are likely to occur are bleeding in the stomach or intestines, blood vomiting, blood in stools, or dark-colored stools. The other side effects include hypotension, back pain, nausea, chest pain, vomiting, headache, speech, visual or hearing difficulties, numbness or lack of feeling, and problems with movement or balance.

Talk to your doctor if you are taking blood-thinning medicines or other non-prescription, nutritional supplements, or herbal medicines that affect blood clotting or blood platelets. Report to your pharmacist or doctor if you have already taken the drug and are allergic to abciximab or its ingredients. See the label package for the list of ingredients. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding during the treatment because It may harm the baby. In patients over 65 years of age, the drug should be given with caution because of the risks of increased bleeding. If you have serious kidney problems, inform your physician priorly because this may put you at risk of increased bleeding. In this case, your doctor might monitor your blood reports frequently.

Abciximab may cause bleeding after the administration, it may bleed easily for up to 3 days, and pressure must be applied in bleeding sites. Bed rest may be required during or post-infusion of the drug. Report the signs and symptoms of bleeding, blood vomiting or blood clots while vomiting and low blood pressure to your doctor.

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The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice. It is meant for educational purposes only. For further details, consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you can receive this treatment.