OMNIOX INC — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: Engineering'of'Human'H.NOX'as'an'Oxygen'Delivery'T

Description

Engineering'of'Human'H.NOX'as'an'Oxygen'Delivery'Therapeutic'for'Prolonged'Administration' ' ' Project Summary/Abstract Omniox has developed a class of tunable oxygen-delivery agents that significantly alleviate tumor hypoxia to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). This family of therapeutic proteins, called H-NOX, can oxygenate hypoxic tumors without the treatment burden and toxicity associated with earlier oxygenation therapies. Because radiation relies on oxygen to damage DNA, the lack of oxygen inaggressive solid tumors is a major impediment to effective treatment. Previous SBIR-funded studies resulted in the identification of an H-NOX variant of bacterial origin, OMX-4.80, that is highly effective in penetrating and oxygenating hypoxic tumors andenhancing tumor growth delay after single radiation treatments. OMX-4.80 does not result in cardiovascular, renal, or hypertensive toxicities associated with hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers. The bacterial origin of the lead candidate makes it appropriat