BLOOD REPLACERS

One project in the EBN relates to development of novel oxygen-carrying fluids, based on perfluorocarbons (BE-7318, co-ordinated from Universities of Ulm and Nice). Blood substitutes are under development in USA, and Biopure Corp of Cambridge Massachusetts has begun a Phase III study in 600 orthopaedic cases, who will receive the company’s Hemopure® product. The company expects that the product will perform at least as well as conventional whole-blood and washed-cell substitutes.

The Canadian company Hemosol is to begin trials in the UK of its blood substitute product Hemolink, made from purified human haemoglobin with a shelf-life of over a year. The German company Fresenius is the marketing partner for Hemosol in Europe. In Canadian trials, initial results during hip and knee replacement surgery have been good. Hemosol will continue to focus on use of Hemolink for blood loss during surgery, since studies and use in this sector are more controllable than use for blood loss due to injuries. Trials will shortly begin for use of Hemolink in coronary bypass surgery. Earlier this year, Baxter withdrew its blood replacer, HemAssist, after a higher-than-expected death rate in trauma patients.

The US company Northfield Laboratories, together with its marketing partner Pharmacia & Upjohn, is planning trials of PolyHeme, a modified haemoglobin oxygen-carrier, in Sweden, Germany and UK during 1998. Northfield believes that PolyHeme volumes up to 100% of total blood volume could be used in trauma cases. The product is already under study in USA for use in surgical blood loss.