Clot busting protein to be developed in new collaboration

Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, based in New Jersey, US, has obtained a worldwide license from the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) of Chandigarth, India, to undertake clinical development and commercialisation of a novel clot busting therapeutic protein.

The protein is known as Clot Specific Streptokinase (CSSK), which was developed at IMTECH by the institute's director, Dr Garish Sahni. CSSK is an engineered protein produced by recombinant DNA technology - the cDNA coding for streptokinase is fused with the cDNA of another naturally occurring human blood protein.

The resulting protein is a product that has a very high affinity for the blood clot without a plasminogen lysis property - upon binding to the blood clot protein fibrin, the hybrid protein is lysed into its individual component proteins. Streptokinase is released and active only in the vicinity of the blood clot, and the common problem of blood thinning associated with streptokinase that can cause severe bleeding and potentially death will be avoided with the use of CSSK.

IMTECH has obtained a European patent for the molecule and the Indian and US patents are pending.

"We are excited and honoured to have this relationship with one of the premier research institutes in India with a large pool of highly talented scientists led by Dr Sahni," said Dr Nirmal Mulye, president and founder of Nostrum.

Kapil Sibbal, India's minister of Science and Technology, stated that the alliance represents a "brain gain" for India and is another successful event in a growing pharmaceutical region.