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Protamine sulfate is a drug derived from fish sperm that acts as an antidote to heparin, an anticoagulant. Protamine itself is a simple alkaline protein, often found combined with nucleic acids as nucleoproteins. It was first discovered in salmon sperm in the 1870s. The drug form, protamine sulfate, is used to counteract the effects of heparin overdose, which can cause excessive bleeding. Protamine neutralizes heparin's anticoagulant properties.12

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  1. protamine
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