Ticlopidine hydrochloride

Ticlopidine is an effective inhibitor of platelet aggregation. It is a prodrug that is metabolised to an active form, which blocks the ADP receptor that is involved in GPIIb/IIIa receptor activation leading to platelet aggregation. Ticlopidine is marketed under the brand name Ticlid and is indicated for patients who cannot take aspirin or in whom aspirin has not worked to prevent a thrombotic stroke. The FDA label includes a black-box warning of neutropenia, aplastic anemia, thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura, and agranulocytosis, so it is necessary to monitor patients’ WBC and platelets when they are taking ticlopidine.