Each year, approximately 160,000 people in the United States suffer from ST segment-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe type of heart attack. Approximately half of all deaths from heart attacks occur before patients reach the hospital. Although emergency medical service providers commonly give heart attack victims aspirin, better pre-hospital therapies are needed. The hypothesis is that the addition of a potent alpha-IIb-beta3 receptor antagonist to standard oral aspirin in the pre-hospital therapy of patients with ST segment-elevated myocardial infarction will not only decrease early mortality, but will also decrease the development of congestive heart failure during the next 6-12 months. This hypothesis is based on evidence showing that therapy with other alpha-IIb-beta3 antagonists (along with aspirin) soon after symptom onset can abort the progression of thrombotic myocardial ischemia to irreversible cardiac damage and decrease mortality. This projects aim is to test a compound called RUC-4, an alpha-IIb-beta3 receptor antagonist, and prepare it for human trials. The investigators hypothesize that dosing RUC-4 before patients reach the hospital could help prevent death and heart damage from STEMI. The team is collaborating on the completion of the following studies on RUC-4 - Process development - Synthesis of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) material - Formulation development - Pharmacokinetic/absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (PK/ADME) studies - Investigational New Drug (IND)-directed toxicology
