Tufts Medical Center wins $10m grant to advance blood clot prevention drug

The five-year grant will fund the early development stages of pepducin, PZ-128, which inhibits PAR1 platelet protein that stimulates clotting.

Initially researchers will conduct a Phase I trial in healthy human volunteers to determine the safety of the drug. If successful, the grant will cover a multi-center Phase II clinical trial in 800 patients.

Tufts Medical Center the hemostasis and thrombosis lab director Kuliopulos said, "If our study works, it’s potentially game-changing and could become part of the standard of care for patients being treated for coronary artery blockages."

When added to human blood samples, PZ-128 appears to inhibit clotting without affecting bleeding markers and reduces the risk of long-term bleeding problems by clearing out of the blood stream within hours.