The role of platelets in the development of acute and chronic complications of cardiovascular disease has long been known, and therapies directed against platelets are currently in vogue. With a huge global market and novel targets against which to generate compounds, could it be that large pharma is seeing the potential for the next blockbuster drug? The future development of antiplatelet therapies will depend on targeted drug design based on an understanding of the role of platelets in haemostasis and pathology. This article discusses drugs in clinical development that target platelet adhesion, inhibit agonist receptors or act on miscellaneous targets, with respect to their future blockbuster potential.