Fatal cases of gabexate mesilate-induced anaphylaxis.

Gabexate mesilate, ethyl-4-(6-guanidinohexanoyloxy) benzoate monomethanesulfonate (C16H23N3 O4CH4O3S: M.W. 417.48), is a synthetic protease inhibitor and was introduced for clinical use in 1978. It rarely induces anaphylaxis, and patients with gabexate mesilate-induced shock had been reported to survive with appropriate treatments including respiratory support. However, there were increasing reports on fatal cases in recent years: 6 cases have been reported to develop fatal anaphylaxis following dripping infusions of gabexate mesilate. All the fatal cases rapidly developed anaphylaxis (within 5 minutes), whereas 7 out of 11 in recovered cases developed it 5 or more minutes after the injection. Venous access should be kept for at least 30 minutes to prepare for and to treat this fatal reaction in patients receiving gabexate mesilate repeatedly.