Professor Granted $1.5 M to Develop Synthetic Heparin
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 26 2009 at 12:48 PM
Heparin >>

A University of North Carolina professor has been granted $1.5 million to further develop a synthetic version of blood thinner drug heparin.

The four-year grant was given by the National Institutes of Health to Jian Liu, an associate professor of pharmacy.

According to reports, the money will pay for the professor’s research into Recomparin, a synthetic version of heparin invented by professor Liu.

In medical practices, Heparin is generally used to prevent blood clots. According to UNC, the drug has annual sales of $3 billion worldwide.

The main problem to use Heparin is that the drug has potential adverse effects. Out of control bleeding, sudden numbness or weakness, headache, confusion, problems with vision, high blood potassium level (hyperkalaemia), decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia) and breakdown of skin cells are some of the side effects of heparin.

Liu hopes the NIH grant can be used to make the drug perfect.

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