Recombinant Technology Offers Low Cost Alternative to tPA

A recombinantly derived thrombolytic agent provides significantly reduced cost of treatment, making it a promising therapy for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the developing world.

THR-174 is a derivative of Staphylokinase, which has demonstrated efficacy equivalent to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), considered the "gold standard” for thrombolytic therapy. However, since all forms of Staphylokinase can be produced at much lower cost than tPA, they provide a significantly reduced cost of treatment. Unlike streptokinase and other therapies, THR-174 produces a lower antibody response, which means that it could potentially be administered to most patients more than once, allowing treatment of subsequent cardiac events and improving quality of care, with minimal side effects and without the use of steroids. THR-174 also offers the flexibility of being administered as a single bolus injection, double bolus injection, or continuous intravenous infusion, depending on the clinical indication for which it is used. THR-174 is a product of ThromboGenics (Leuven, Belgium; www.thrombogenics.com).

"With its safety, efficacy, low cost, and reduced antigenic properties, THR-174 has the potential to become a breakthrough in the treatment of heart attack in the developing world, for the first time allowing repeat administration in the event of subsequent attacks,” said Professor Désiré Collen, CEO of ThromboGenics.

Staphylokinase is a bacterial plasminogen activator protein released by Staphylococcus aureus, which is currently in clinical testing for the treatment of both MI and peripheral thrombosis.


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