Bev
Blood Substitute Competition
Three of Sanguine's probable competitors in the blood substitute race have suffered serious setbacks. In July 1996, Pharmacia Upjohn backed out of their joint venture with Biopure who are using cow's blood in their attempt to make a blood substitute. In March 1997, Somatogen's pharmaceutical partner, Eli Lilly, withdrew from their joint DNA blood project. In April, 1997 Alliance Pharmaceutical suspended their LiquiVent clinical trials because the mortality rate of the control groups deceased; in other words, their project was not effective.
On May 6,1997, Baxter International reported that their blood substitute, HemAssist, Was doing better, Although only 39% of the cardiac surgery patients needed human blood and infused only 209 patients, instead of the usual 850 or more. Baxter's report seems to be P.R. damage control in the face of these other failures.
On May 22, 1997, Northfield Laboratories reported that their blood substitute, PolyHeme, in clinical trials, significantly reduced the need for the blood transfusions in hemorrhaging trauma patients.. Only one hundred patients were involved in this clinical trial.
Sanguines synthetic blood is entirely different for our competitor's products. Baxter and Northfield use outdated human blood which is in short supply. Somatogen also uses outdated human blood but its manufacturing processes make their products, Optro very expensive. Cow blood (Biopure) is plentiful but has the problem of AIDS and MAD Cow disease.
Snaguine's product,PHER-02, is improved second generation product of the only FDA approved blood substitute. The raw materials are low cost and supply is plentiful.
Thomas C. Drees
Prospector |
