For once, snake venom may be helping save lives rather than putting them in danger. Scientists say a protein in venom gives valuable insight as to why a group of new heart medications called integrin antagonists cause more harm than good in some patients.The drugs are designed to prevent blood clots from forming and causing heart attack during angioplasty, where doctors use a balloon-like device to clear narrowed arteries. Intravenous versions of integrin antagonists used during angioplasty have proved effective in most patients.Oral forms of these drugs were developed for use by patients after they were discharged from the hospital. But research trials on the oral versions were halted after early results found a 33 percent increase in patient deaths. No clear cause for the deaths could be found.
