MoliChem Medicines Inc has obtained a patent in the United States for a Method of Treating Septic Shock. The use of iron chelates, which are molecules that contain iron, is described in the Patent No. 6,465,511.

The septic syndromes (systemic inflammatory response syndrome [SIRS], sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock) are triggered by infection, often the result of events such as trauma, surgery and burns or illnesses such as cancer, pneumonia, and AIDS. Despite aggressive treatment with intravenous antibiotics and supportive care, these syndromes are significant causes of morbidity and mortality.

In the order described above these conditions represent increasingly severe stages of the same disorder. The prevalence of SIRS is very high, affecting one-third of all in-hospital patients and more than 50% of all Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. In surgical ICU patients, SIRS occurs in more than 80% of patients. A study of sepsis based on discharge documents indicated that severe sepsis affected 751,000 Americans in 1995.

Studies in mice and baboons were conducted to evaluate the protective capacity of the iron chelate Moli56A in septic shock. The surviving animals did not show multi-organ pathology and only showed mild lung lesions, consisting of mild lung congestion, in contrast to the severe multi-organ damage seen in untreated animals. The conveyed protection of animals from death of sepsis related syndrome makes Moli56A a prime lead for a potential treatment of sepsis related syndromes in humans. It is conceivable that Moli56A may be most useful when administered in patients with SIRS and sepsis.

"We are very pleased to add a piece of intellectual property to our Company," stated Luis Molina, President and CEO of MoliChem. "This is a therapeutic area where medical need is definitively unmet. In addition, investors are concerned of this indication because of the past failures of a variety of compounds and the difficulty to evaluate efficacy in the clinical setting."

MoliChem will seek Federal funding to support preclinical and early clinical studies with Moli56A.