Piyavit from the Medicinal Leech Is a New Orally Active Anticoagulating and Antithrombotic Drug

Abstract

Piyavit, a novel pharmacological preparation allowed in Russia as an oral antithrombotic drug for clinical use, contains medicinal leech saliva as the main source of biologically active substances that inhibit platelet-vascular and plasmic hemostasis and provide thrombolysis. It is shown that piyavit administered orally or subcutaneously to animals inhibits arterial thrombus formation. In 22 patients with acquired heart valvular disease after implantation of a cardiac artificial valve who received oral piyavit capsules and phenilin 2-3 days after the operation, blood hypercoagulability was reduced in comparison to that of 20 patients after the same type of operation who received only phenilin. An antiinflammatory effect and decreased blood hypercoagulability were observed in 38 patients with thrombophlebitis of the greater saphenous vein who received the same piyavit capsules orally. The results confirm that piyavit as an oral anticoagulant and antithrombotic drug may be an alternative to known antithrombotic preparations. Key Words: Anticoagulation—Antithrombotic drug—Leech saliva— Medicinal leech-Piyavit.