Has Biotime ever claimed that they expect Hextend® to be used in dosages larger than 1.5 L/day?
I don't think they have. As always, it just seems to be Crossen making these wild claims. (Crossen seems to have backed down somewhat on the max. dosage for Hextend®. See btim.dyn.ml.org )
I haven't found anything on the Biotime website that says anything about Hextend® dosages larger than the 1.5 L/day guideline (based on hetastarch-induced coagulopathy).
Although the product information on their website ( biotimeinc.com ) says "Hextend has been designed and formulated to replace large volumes of blood loss", they never say that the added electrolytes will allow Hextend® to be used in dosages larger than the traditional limits of hetastarch. They do mention that hetastarch is "generally not used to replace more than 30% of a patient's blood" (30% of 5 L = 1.5 L). However, they do not say that Hextend® will be able to exceed these limitations.
I read over the Biotime patents looking for a description of the invention, and how it aims to exceed the limitations of the state-of-the-art. I found that the invention read very much like all the HES papers I have found in my research, and what I have discussed on these boards. From the Biotime patent 5,747,071 "Plasma-like substance":
When used as a blood plasma expander in a hypovolemic subject, the solution according to the invention will be administered in an amount up to about 30% of the average blood volume of an average subject. If the subject is the size of an average adult male human being the average blood volume is about 500 ml and the volume of the solution according to the invention will be up to about 1500 ml.
Ok, sounds like everything else out there. Where has Biotime ever made the claims that Hextend® will be used beyond the traditional 1.5 L/day limit? I had been pursuing this line of research, because of what seemed to have been infered in the press about Biotime's claims of Hextend®. As I've said before, Biotime has never made wild or erroneous claims in what they present to the public via press release, 10Q, website, etc.
Again, Biotime is not making any special claims about Hextend®. Has there been an assumption that Hextend® is addressing the volume limitation of hetastarch?
Steve
btim.dyn.ml.org |
