Summary

Factor (F) VIIa in association with tissue factor (TF) is the primary in vivo initiator of blood coagulation and activates FX and FIX to generate thrombin, which plays a key role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis. We evaluated the enzyme kinetics, antithrombotic and antihaemostatic properties of BMS-593214, an active-site, direct FVIIa inhibitor. Studies were conducted in enzymatic assays, and in anesthetised rabbit models of electrically-induced carotid arterial thrombosis (AT), thread-induced vena cava venous thrombosis (VT) and cuticle bleeding time (BT). Antithrombotic efficacy of BMS-593214 given intravenously was evaluated for both the prevention and treatment of AT and VT. BMS-593214 displayed direct, competitive inhibition of human FVIIa in the hydrolysis of a tripeptide substrate with Ki of 5 nM. However, it acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor of the activation of the physiological substrate FX by TF/VIIa with Ki of 9.3 nM. BMS-593214 showed selectivity for FVIIa and exhibited species differences in TF-FVIIa-dependent anticoagulation with similar potency in human and rabbit plasma. BMS-593214 was efficacious in the prevention and treatment models of AT and VT with ED50 values of 1.1 to 3.1 mg/kg. Furthermore, BMS-593214 exhibited a wide therapeutic window with respect to BT. These results suggest that inhibition of FVIIa with small-molecule active-site inhibitors represents a promising antithrombotic approach for the development of new therapies for the prevention and treatment of AT and VT.