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Gastro-Protective Compounds Potentially Useful To Treat Ulcer Disease

Market: The CDC estimates 25 million Americans suffer from gastric ulcers. One in ten Americans will develop gastric ulcers in their lifetime. The CDC further estimates 1 million hospitalizations and 6,500 deaths due to this condition. All this leads to a huge market. Business Week placed the global anti-ulcer market at over $8 billion.

Competitors and Current Problems: It is unsurprising given the size of the market to find current therapeutics on the market. However, current medications are not without side effects. Chronic administration of H2 agonists can lead to increased gastric and respiratory infections, while H+/K+ ATPase inhibitors can result in pre-malignant changes in the stomach.

The Technology: Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston identified a class of compounds, phosphorylated alcohols in combination with polyvalent cations, that are potentially useful to treat ulcer disease. These compounds were designed to avoiding the above-mentioned side effects. Our scientists found thecompounds form a lipid bilayer resistant to ion diffusion. Acid challenge studies in rats were done using inosital hexaphosphate with both bismuth (Bi+3) and gold (Au+3). The results of the animal studies showed almost complete lesion protection.

UTHSC-H Ref. No.: 1990-0006
Inventors: Dr. Lichtenberger
Patent Status: Issued U.S. Patent No. 5,260,287
License Available: world-wide; exclusive or non-exclusive

Download Summary (1990-0006)