Moving from bench to bedside in the development of the monoclonal antibody 7E3, directed against the platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor, from a basic science laboratory reagent to an antithrombotic drug was a long, incremental process. From the beginning, we hoped that this powerful new agent would allow us to define better the biochemistry of the GPIIb/IIIa receptor and its role in platelet physiology and pathology, and we dreamed that we might be able to use it to improve the therapy of patients with vascular disease.

I first review the evolution of our understanding of platelet physiology since the 1960s and why the platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor appeared to be a logical target for antithrombotic therapy. I then describe our studies with 7E3 to block the receptor in experimental animal models of thrombosis. The results of these studies encouraged us to try to develop 7E3 as a human therapeutic agent. The development was a monumental effort conducted by hundreds of people working for nearly a decade and culminated in the approval by the Food and Drug Administration of c7E3 Fab (abciximab [ReoPro]) in December 1994 as conjunctive therapy for use in patients undergoing high-risk coronary artery angioplasty and atherectomy. A detailed description of the developmental process is beyond the scope of this essay, so it is only briefly described. My experience in moving back and forth from the academic medical center research bench to the world of drug development has allowed me to reflect on the processes involved, and at the end of this essay, I share some of my thoughts and concerns.