Patients' immune systems recognize transplanted organs as foreign and therefore reject them. Physicians treat these patients with powerful immuno-suppressants to block all immune and inflammatory reactions that could cause solid organ rejection. These therapies may place patients at increased risk for infection. The vascular protection provided by our product candidates may protect solid organs from rejection beyond the first year without increasing the risk of infection. Recent industry sources report there are approximately 200,000 organ transplant recipients in the United States who are at risk of chronic transplant rejection.
Chronic rejection is a major factor contributing to organ shortage.
We have identified v-protectant product candidates for oral administration to patients who have received transplants. We are evaluating these small molecules based on development criteria such as potency, stability and ease of formulation. We will use these criteria and results from comprehensive pre-clinical studies that are under way to choose a lead product candidate for clinical development that targets chronic solid organ transplant rejection. Based on our v-protectant technology platform, we have designed a simple and proprietary blood test that measures a circulating blood marker for atherosclerosis. There are currently no diagnostic tools that meet this profile.