Recombinant thrombomodulin, an anticoagulant, was approved and
launched in Japan for the intravenous treatment of DIC. DIC is a
blood clotting disorder in which the blood coagulation system becomes
overactive, leading to blockage of capillaries, ischemia and other damage
to vascular endothelial cells, and organ damage. Concurrently, the
use and subsequent depletion of platelets and coagulation proteins
resulting from the ongoing coagulation may induce severe bleeding. DIC
frequently occurs as a complication of malignant tumors and infections.
Bleeding is typically the presenting symptom in patients with DIC, a factor that can complicate decisions about treatment. Thrombomodulin
is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein that neutralizes thrombin
pro-coagulant activity and accelerates the thrombin-catalyzed activation
of anticoagulant protein C, thus allowing potential use in the treatment
of thrombotic disorders such as DIC.
