Safety and efficacy of abciximab as an adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention

Abciximab is a widely studied glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, specifically in the setting of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The populations studied have included patients with non-ST-segment acute coronary syndromes, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and elective PCI. This large amount of information provides a clear efficacy and safety profile of the drug, although a few questions on the use of abciximab still exist, particularly on its use and preference in the setting of newer antiplatelet and antithrombotic medications. In this article we review the most relevant data from randomized clinical trials with abciximab in patients undergoing PCI and discuss the recent guideline recommendation on use during PCI.