Oxycyte is an experimental third-generation perfluorocarbon (PFC) therapeutic oxygen carrier invented by Leland Clark and developed by Tenax Therapeutics (TENX; formerly Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. and Synthetic Blood International). It is designed to enhance oxygen delivery to damaged tissues. Through a collaborative agreement, Oxycyte (under the development code name of ABL-101) is now being developed by Aurum Biosciences Ltd, with initial an initial indication in acute ischemic stroke.
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Product
When used as an intravenous emulsion, Oxycyte can carry as much as five times more oxygen than hemoglobin, making it an effective means of transporting oxygen to tissues and carrying carbon dioxide to the lungs for disposal. Like all PFC-based products, Oxycyte is not a complete blood substitute.
Because Oxycyte is a PFC, and not based on hemoglobin, it does not have the safety issues associated with hemoglobin-based products; there have been no adverse events in company clinical trials that were related to Oxycyte. Tenax believes that Oxycyte has a very favorable risk-benefit profile for its potential indications.
Aurum Biosciences has received Wellcome Trust HICF funding to take Oxycyte into a phase IIa clinical trial in stroke patients. This work will investigate both therapeutic potential and its ability to enhance the diagnostic potential of MRI in stroke.
Aurum Biosciences promotes Oxycyte as having potential for use in multiple indications, including cardiology, oncology, epilepsy and neuro-degenerative diseases.
Chemical properties
The active chemical substance in Oxycyte is Perfluoro(tert-butylcyclohexane), a saturated alicyctic PFC (molecular formula C10F20).