Sulfated bis-cyclic compounds that are potent anticoagulants and methods for their manufacture are provided. The sulfated compounds are bis-cyclic moieties comprised of an isoquinoline ring joined to a phenyl ring with the general chemical structure formula (I) where R
2
is hydrogen or a sulfate moiety, R
3
is either hydrogen or carboxylate moiety; R
4
is a hydrogen or oxygen; and R
5
is a hydrogen if R
4
is a hydrogen, and is absent if R
4
is oxygen. Counterions such as sodium may also be coordinated to the sulfate and carboxylate moieties.