A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia is currently developing a universal antidote for heparin, a complex life-saving blood thinner used in major surgeries and to treat heart disease.

The blood thinning activity of heparin generally needs another drug to reverse its effects before hemorrhaging and critical bleeding problems occur, especially in situations such as major surgery procedures.

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Developing an authorized drug to counteract heparin's blood thinning effect is difficult as there are some dozen heparin products approved for sale. The fact that the two most prescribed and used heparins, fondaparinux and low-molecular weight heparins, have no medically approved counter drug further complicates the situation.

Out of all man-made blood thinning reversal drugs, which are relatively toxic, none are compatible with all the different types of heparins. The toxicity of the antidotes varies from patient to patient. This further complicates the search for a universal remedy for the agent for healthcare providers.

Researchers from UBC homed-in on a simple solution: produce a synthetic antidote that counteracts the effects of all heparin drugs currently available in the market.

The team, which was led by Associate Professor Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, formulated a universal antidote for heparin. The success of this antidote in animal trials is considered a fundamental breakthrough for both the treatment of anticoagulant-related bleeding problems and cardiothoracic surgery.

"Heparin is the second most prescribed drug after insulin," said Kizhakkedathu. "Our universal heparin antidote addresses an unmet clinical need. It has potential to benefit all patients undergoing high-risk surgical procedures and treating bleeding complications."

Kizhakkedathu, a Michael Smith Foundation Health Research Scholar with UBC's Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Centre for Blood Research and Department of Chemistry, said the synthetic drug gives consistency in performance and health effects.

TagsHeparin, Anticoagulant, Coagulant, Antidote, Heart disease, Surgery, Low-molecular weight heparins, fondaparinux