FOX CHASE CHEMICAL DIVERSITY CENTER INC. — Department of Health and Human Services STTR Phase I: We have discovered the first-ever inhibitors of PF4, a platelet protein central to the pat

Description

We have discovered the first-ever inhibitors of PF4, a platelet protein central to the pathophysiology of heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Heparin is a naturally-occurring anticoagulant that prevents the formation of clots and extension of existingclots within the vasculature, and major medical applications of heparin include dialysis, cardiac catheterization, and cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Heparin therapy is usually safe and effective; however some patients develop HIT as a serious complication caused by an immunological reaction that targets platelets leading to a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). HIT increases the risk of blood clots forming within blood vessels and blocking the flow of blood (thrombosis), referred to as HITT when thrombosis occurs. HITT develops in approximately 1-3% of patients treated with heparin for 5-10 days. Affected individuals have a 20-50% risk of developing new thromboembolic events, a mortality rate ~20%, and an additional ~10% of patients require amputations