Sangart, Inc. Announces Cooperative Research and Development Agreement With the U.S. Navy to Evaluate MP4 Molecule in Traumatic Brain Injury

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sangart, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines specifically designed to enhance the perfusion and oxygenation of ischemic (oxygen deprived) tissues through targeted oxygen and other gas delivery, today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Navy to evaluate its investigational biopharmaceutical product MP4 as a treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in combat casualties.

Sangart has entered into this CRADA with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. The agreement will allow the U.S. Navy to evaluate the oxygen carrying capacity and effectiveness of MP4 in traumatic brain injury.

"We look forward to working with the U.S. Navy to evaluate MP4 in this important potential application," said Brian O'Callaghan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sangart. "If these studies result in positive findings for MP4, it could potentially lead to better treatment options for the many service people and civilians that are victims of traumatic brain injury."  

About Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious injury that is caused by a blast wave, direct impact to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. According to the CDC, approximately 1.7 million people in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury annually.

A significant number of military personnel suffering battle-related injuries have traumatic brain injury, which can have severe consequences including limb paralysis, headaches, memory problems, difficulty in concentrating, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. Mitigating these consequences and preserving neurological function is an important goal in treating victims of traumatic brain injury.

About MP4

Sangart's product platform is based on the MP4 molecule, an investigational biopharmaceutical product designed to enhance the perfusion of oxygen-deprived (ischemic) tissues and provide targeted oxygen delivery in the capillaries. Using a novel pegylation approach, Sangart produces the MP4 molecule at the optimal oxygen affinity, diffusion potential and molecular size to perfuse capillaries and target oxygen delivery to tissues specifically at risk of ischemia.

About Sangart

Sangart is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines specifically designed to enhance the perfusion and oxygenation of ischemic (oxygen deprived) tissues through targeted oxygen delivery. Based on more than a decade of research, Sangart has refined the pegylation of human hemoglobin to create a molecule, MP4, with the ability to carry oxygen through the circulatory system to prevent and treat ischemia.

To learn more about Sangart, please visit the company's website at www.sangart.com.

SOURCE Sangart, Inc.