Brain injury therapy advancing toward human studies
Research that began at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 15 years ago is nearing a significant milestone: human testing of an intravenous (IV) drug to treat brain injuries such as concussion and stroke.
The implications are enormous. A therapy for soldiers on the battlefield, car crash victims, concussed football players and people who suffer strokes could ease the pain and suffering of thousands worldwide daily and prevent debilitating long-term effects of traumatic brain injury.
Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals is a UT Health Science Center San Antonio spinoff company founded on technology owned by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. The company, located in Groton, Conn., attracted a $3 million award in September from the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) to fund Phase 1 clinical safety studies of the IV-delivered drug in people.