Costa Mesa company begins artificial blood trials

Paul Clinton

Biomedical start-up Synthetic Blood International Inc. has pinned

down an approval from the Federal Drug Administration for drug trials

for artificial blood.

The company, which moved from Ohio to Costa Mesa in 1998,

announced the approval April 21. By August, Synthetic Blood will

begin a three-phase testing program of Oxycyte, a liquid per

fluorocarbon.

If it gains ultimate approval from the FDA, Oxycyte is expected to

be used for trauma victims, stroke survivors and other patients who

need oxygen in their blood stream quickly.

“It picks up oxygen and sends it to the tissues,” said Robert

Nicora, the company’s president. “It can mimic the function of blood

in an acute, short-term way.”

The synthetic blood, which would be sold to hospitals, doctors and

other health care providers, would also be cheaper than the cost of

human blood. Right now, the American Red Cross supplies blood for

transfusions for $175 per 400-milliliter bag. However, other costs

can drive the per-bag cost to between $500 and $1,000. The synthetic

blood would cost less than $500, Nicora said.

The synthetic blood could also be used with any blood type; in

essence, it would act as universal O-type blood, he said. Synthetic

blood also has a two-year shelf life, Nicora said. Human transfused

blood lasts 40 days.

Arell Shapiro, Hoag Hospital’s director of transfusion medicine,

said artificial blood could prove beneficial at times.

“They’re good,” she said. “These drugs would have some utility in

certain clinical situations.”

Nicora acknowledges the hurdles, which are similar to early

resistance the medical community had to pacemakers.

Nicora said he has already held discussions with several large

drug makers that have expressed interest in signing a marketing pact

with Synthetic Blood to sell the vials of synthetic blood.

“It will not be an insignificant marketing challenge,” Nicora

said. “But most big-pharm companies that have shown an interest feel

it can be done.”

The company is also developing Fluorovent, a liquid ventilation

product, and another drug product.

The company expects to spend as much as $120 million to develop

all three, Nicora said. Royalties could bring in as much as $2

billion for the first five years after the three products are on the

market.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.