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Apixaban, previously known as BMS-562247, is a high affinity, highly selective, orally-active, reversible inhibitor of coagulation factor Xa (fXa), in clinical studies as a therapeutic agent for prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases. The in vitrocharacteristics of apixaban were evaluated in purified systems and in human blood from healthy volunteers. Detailed kinetic analysis of apixaban inhibition of human fXa showed that it is a readily reversible, potent and competitive inhibitor versus a synthetic tripeptide substrate with a Ki of 0.08 nM, an association rate of 2 × 107M−1s−1and a dissociation half life of 3.4 min. Weak affinity (Ki ~3 μM) is observed for thrombin, plasma kallikrein, and chymotrypsin. Affinity for trypsin and all other serine proteases tested is negligible with Ki > 15 μM. Apixaban is an effective inhibitor of free fXa and of prothrombinase, in buffer, platelet poor plasma, and whole blood. The anticoagulant activity of apixaban was determined in platelet-poor human plasma. Apixaban causes concentration dependent prolongation of the fXa mediated clotting assays. The human plasma concentration required to produce a doubling of the clotting time is 3.6 μM for prothrombin time, 7.4 μM for activated partial thromboplastin time and 0.4 μM for HepTest. To support preclinical efficacy and safety studies purified fXa from rabbit, dog and rat plasma was also found to be inhibited by apixaban (0.17, 2.6, and 1.3 nM, respectively). In summary the in vitroproperties of apixaban show that it is a highly selective and potentially potent antithrombotic agent for venous and arterial thrombotic diseases.