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it was withdrawn.
Today there are three or four
compounds being investigated in the
medical communities of the United
States and other Western countries:
Oxycyte (Oxygen Biotherapeutics Inc.,
North Carolina), Oxygent (New Alliance
Pharmaceuticals/Sanguine Corporation,
Georgia) and Perftoran (HemoTek Inc.,
Texas). Perftoran is available in Russia
and perhaps other parts of the world, and
Oxygent is being manufactured not only
in the U.S. but in China, too, where it may
already be available. In the U.S. we are
working to respond to some final questions
and concerns the FDA has regarding a side
effect (possible toxicity related to platelet
counts) of all PFC infusions. Once that side
effect is better understood several human
trials can move forward to the next round
of research. I have proposed that a human
trial in DCS (during transport and prior to
recompression) would make great sense.
I believe we are three to five years away
from having PFCs on the market for DCS
indications. There is great science and
support for these agents being first-line
therapies in the future.
AD
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MEET ThE ExpErTs
Steven E. Hill, M.D.,
is professor of anesthesiology and codirector of both the Acute Cardiothoracic Surgical Unit and the Duke Center for Blood
Conservation at Duke University Medical Center. His research deals with clinical trials of blood-conservation techniques, oxygen therapeutics, thoracic
analgesia and plasma volume expanders. He also studies research protocols involving oxygen therapeutic agents and the impact of blood management
on patient outcomes.
Bruce D. Spiess, M.D., FAHA,
is former director and senior fellow at the Virginia Commonwealth University Reanimation Engineering Science
Center and founder/director of the Flawless Operative Cardiovascular Unified Systems initiative to reduce human error in heart surgery. His work focuses
primarily on oxygen therapeutics and blood substitutes, coagulation dysfunction with heart surgery and the risks of blood transfusion. With funding from the
Office of Naval Research, Dr. Spiess is seeking ways to treat or prevent decompression sickness using perfluorocarbon emulsions
.
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