Research
Expert Says Blood Substitutes Inevitable Breakthrough
By
May 8, 2008 - 1:09:41 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Blood substitutes, or more appropriately "oxygen therapeutics", have been in
the news recently due to a study published in the Journal of American Medicine. The study outlined the struggles and mortality in human trials and urged caution in crafting protocols for future trials.

Dr. Abraham Abuchowski has been involved in the development of oxygen therapeutics since 1991. He says the eventual development of the product is inevitable given the advances already achieved and the crucial need in several indications.

"A "one size fits all" product is unlikely to be the first oxygen
therapeutic approved, in part because a manufacturing process might require a million liters of blood a year to meet market needs," said Dr. Abuchowski.

"While in the 1990s my research had success in safely replacing up to 80 percent of hemoglobin in animal studies with full recovery, some near term indications for oxygen therapeutics in diseases where no blood is necessary may be more appropriate. Such medical applications as renal ischemia, peripheral ischemia, Sickle Cell anemia and radiosensitization of tumors may
first get approval."

Dr. Abuchowski says the dangers and inefficiencies of using human blood will demand an eventual oxygen therapeutic. "A pint of human blood only has a shelf-life of 42 days, and still introduces the risk of typing errors, toxins, and viral agents. The oxygen therapeutics contemplated in development will avoid those issues. The ability to store these safe and plentiful products for extended periods allows for use, in combat
situations, ambulances, or at natural disasters and will save many thousands of lives each year."

Dr. Abuchowski says like any new therapeutic there must be a risk/reward compared to current therapies in place. "To put things in perspective, if human blood transfusions were to be developed as an FDA-approved product today, the chance of their success would be problematic to say the least, and the required testing and restrictions on use would make them financially
unfeasible."

Dr. Abraham Abuchowski founded Enzon, Inc. (ENZN) in 1982, and today is the President and COO of Prolong Pharmaceuticals in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey (www.prolongpharmaceuticals.com).

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