Prolong Pharmaceuticals to Present New Research on SANGUINATE®, an Investigational Treatment Under Evaluation for Vaso-Occlusive Crisis (VOC) in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease, at ASH Annual Meeting

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Prolong Pharmaceuticals today announced that researchers will present interim results from a Phase II trial of SANGUINATE^® (PEGylated carboxyhemoglobin bovine), an investigational treatment under evaluation for vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The data will be presented as a poster at the 59^th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), which will take place December 9-12, in Atlanta, Georgia.

In a separate poster presentation at ASH, researchers will present data from a novel rat model of acute VOC demonstrating the ability of SANGUINATE^® to promote resolution of VOC by restoring blood flow in blood vessels and surrounding microvasculature.

The two SANGUINATE^® data sets will be presented in ASH poster sessions at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building A, Level 1, Hall A2, at the following times:

• Saturday, December 9, 2017, 5:30-7:30 PM (EST)*, Session 114, Hemoglobinopathies, Excluding Thalassemia – Clinical Poster I: Jubin R, et al., PEGylated Carboxyhemoglobin bovine (SANGUINATE^®) Restores RBCs Roundness and Reduces Pain During a Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crisis. Abstract #969.
    * Poster will be on display from 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM (EST)
  
• Monday, December 11, 2017, 6:00-8:00 PM (EST)*, Session 113, Hemoglobinopathies, Excluding Thalassemia – Basic and Translational Science: Poster III: Song BK, Nugent WH, PEGylated Carboxyhemoglobin (SANGUINATE^®) Restores Blood Flow and Tissue Oxygenation in a Novel Rat Model of Acute Vaso-Occlusive Crisis. Abstract #3517.
    * Poster will be on display from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (EST)

To learn more about Prolong Pharmaceuticals and SANGUINATE^® visit booth #1351 during ASH 2017.

About Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is a group of chronic genetic disorders that affect an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Americans.¹ VOC, the most common complication of SCD, is an extremely painful, potentially deadly condition characterized by abnormal hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to tissues and organs in the body and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs.^2,3 Cells affected by VOC become sickle- or crescent-shaped, a deformity that prevents them from flowing freely through blood vessels, potentially causing excruciating pain and other symptoms that may lead to death.⁴ VOC results in approximately 197,000 emergency department visits each year in the U.S. and costs an estimated $356 million annually for pain management alone.⁵

About SANGUINATE^®

SANGUINATE^® is the only biological product currently in clinical development for the multiple comorbidities of SCD, and has received an Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. SANGUINATE^® facilitates the transfer of oxygen to oxygen-deprived cells and tissues and has also been shown to down-regulate the inflammatory response in blood samples of patients with SCD. Many of the comorbidities of SCD are caused by a spiraling cycle of sickling, hemolysis and blood vessel inflammation. These comorbidities include VOC, acute chest syndrome, leg ulcers and pediatric and adult stroke. By correcting oxygen levels and down-regulating inflammation, SANGUINATE^® may be effective in treating many of the debilitating, acute comorbidities associated with SCD.

Prolong is exploring SANGUINATE^® as a potential treatment for patients with other hematological disorders caused by anemia or hypoxia and ischemia. SANGUINATE^® is not approved by any regulatory agency.

SANGUINATE^® is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration.

About Prolong Pharmaceuticals

Headquartered in South Plainfield, New Jersey, Prolong Pharmaceuticals, LLC, is developing products to treat several diseases and their debilitating comorbidities associated with reduced quality of life, increased medical cost and significant mortality. Prolong's senior management team includes inventors of the most successful drug delivery technology in pharmaceutical history, PEGylation, now responsible for the development of a dozen drugs improving the quality of life for sufferers of hepatitis, kidney disease, and a number of other life-threatening diseases.

References

¹Genetics Home Reference. Sickle cell disease. 2016. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease#diagnosis.
²National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Evidence-based management of sickle cell disease. Expert panel report. 2014. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/sickle-cell-disease-guidelines.
³National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.  NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. 2017. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?cdrid=45108.
⁴National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What is sickle cell disease? 2016. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca.
⁵Wilson BH, Nelson J. Sickle cell disease pain management in adolescents: a literature review. Pain Manag Nurs. 2015;16(2):146–151.

SOURCE Prolong Pharmaceuticals, LLC