COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA

 

Market:  Ischemic trauma can be caused by stroke, head trauma and other events

Stroke is a severe, often-catastrophic disease affecting approximately 500,000 people per year in the U.S. Present methods of treatment except thrombolysis rely on supportive measures and non-specific agents. Twenty-five to sixty percent of stroke victims experience mild to severe disability, and there exists a need for improved methods of treating the damage secondary to the ischemic event experienced by these patients. While intravenous thrombolytic treatments such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) have shown promise, they generally require intervention within three hours of a stroke.

Brain damage from cerebral ischemia induced by head trauma is another application where there exists a need for improved treatments and is another clinical application of this composition.

Applying hypothermic conditions to a subject after onset of brain injury is a physical means by which some secondary effects of ischemic damage may be reduced.  Combining the composition of this invention with hypothermia may synergize to minimize secondary damage.

The Technology:   There are no neuroprotectives for management of stroke, head trauma, and related diseases involving cerebral ischemia. The inventors have discovered and developed a novel composition that includes caffeine plus an alcohol, and in particular ethanol, which dramatically reduces brain damage following cerebral ischemia.  The combination is referred to as Caffeinol.

Publications:

• “Pilot dose-escalation study of caffeine plus ethanol (caffeinol) in acute ischemic stroke.” Stroke. 2003 May;34(5):1242-5. Epub 2003 Apr 10.
• “Ethanol plus caffeine (caffeinol) for treatment of ischemic stroke: preclinical experience.” Stroke. 2003 May;34(5):1246-51. Epub 2003 Apr 10.

 

NON-CONFIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

The preceding is intended to be a non-confidential summary of a novel technology created at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. 

UTHSCH Ref. No. 2003-0003

Inventors: Dr. James Grotta, Dr. Jaroslaw Aronowski and Roger Strong

Patent Status: United State Patent Nos. 6,500,834; 6,503,915; 6,503,916

License Available: These technologies are available for license.

 

To obtain further information about this technology, please contact:
Office of Technology Management, 7000 Fannin, Suite 720, Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 500-3369  Fax: (713) 500-0331
Email: uthsch-otm@uth.tmc.edu