23rd Nov 2016 10:04
LONDON (Alliance News) - Technology-based pharmaceutical company Verseon Corp on Wednesday said preclinical research it undertook shows that its new class of direct thrombin inhibitors are able to preserve platelet function.
Direct thrombin inhibitors are a class of medication which act as anticoagulants. Anticoagulants prevent blood from clotting.
According to Verseon, the key finding of the study is that its potent, highly selective direct thrombin inhibitors do not disrupt the function of platelets in the blood, while they still block fibrinogen cleavage - which causes blood clots.
This provides a rationale why the inhibitors have significantly reduced bleeding risk when compared to current novel oral anticoagulants in preclinical testing, Verseon said, as current oral anticoagulants can affect platelet function and therefore increase bleeding risk.
While the inhibitors preserve platelet function, the studies show that they act as effective anticoagulants, preventing arterial and venous thromboembolism, as well as thrombin-induced pulmonary embolism, with efficacy comparable to that of existing anticoagulants.
"Maintaining platelet function while preventing thrombosis could be an important approach to reduce bleeding risk. This work may lead to a new generation of safer blood thinners," said John Deanfield, professor of cardiology at University College, London, who chairs Verseon's cardiology advisory board.
Shares in Verseon were untraded on Wednesday, last quoted at 160.00 pence.
By Karolina Kaminska; [email protected] @KarolinaAllNews
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