Add as a preferred source on Google

California Biotech Company Uses University of South Dakota Research Lab to Commercialize New Drug

  • 04/30/15

VERMILLION, SD – A California bio-tech company is moving to Sioux Falls, SD, where it will use University of South Dakota (USD) facilities to commercialize a next-generation blood substitute that could help save lives in critical care and transfusion cases.

NanoBlood LLC will receive funding from the state of South Dakota and will use USD’s Graduate Education and Applied Research Center to prepare its product for clinical trials. If the new drug receives approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NanoBlood plans to build a commercial manufacturing plant in USD’s Discovery District.

“We are pleased that the Good Manufacturing Practice services at the GEAR Center helped attract this innovative company to South Dakota,” says USD President James W. Abbott. “This is exactly the role we envision for our facilities in Sioux Falls — to help bring bio-medical companies to our state. We look forward to helping them find a permanent home in the USD Discovery District.”

The Irvine, CA, company has a patent on its product and has performed tests on animals. Once in South Dakota the company hopes to begin human trials. “This is a major breakthrough, especially after many failed attempts to develop such a therapeutic agent for un-met medical needs during the past half century,” says the company’s website.

The blood substitute is designed to deliver fluids and oxygen to critical patients suffering from inadequate blood flow without damaging the patients’ nerves and blood vessels. The product could save the lives of people suffering massive blood loss, traumatic brain injury, stroke and sickle cell disease. It would serve not only as an alternative to blood transfusion but also as a treatment for diseases where transfusion is not normally used.

According to the company’s website, the blood substitute can be made from outdated blood that otherwise would be discarded by the blood bank, which would help extend the global blood supply. The company says the product has a long shelf life, is stable at room temperature and does not require the matching of blood types. “This would be particularly important in case of a national disaster,” the company says.

About USD
Founded in 1862, The University of South Dakota is designated as the only public liberal arts university in the state and is home to a comprehensive College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, the state's only School of Law, School of Medicine, the accredited Beacom School of Business and the College of Fine Arts. USD has an enrollment of more than 10,000 students taught by more than 400 faculty members.

Featured

  • Recent University of Pennsylvania Projects Receive LEED Certifications

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently announced that three of its recent construction projects have earned LEED certifications, according to university news. The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) received a LEED Platinum certification, Amy Gutmann Hall a LEED Gold, and the OTT Center for Track and Field a LEED silver.

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • Malibu High School Campus Completes $102M Phase 1 of Construction

    Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., recently announced that it has completed phase 1 of construction for its new campus, a news release reports. The first phase consisted of developing and modernizing the site of a former elementary school into a new, 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility.

  • Creating Long-Term Sustainability on College Campuses Through Fair Student Housing

    The quality of student housing can have a significant impact on an individual’s college experience. Today’s higher education institutions face mounting challenges, including declining enrollment, low retention rates between the first and second years, and a rise in student mental health concerns. Thoughtfully designed living spaces can help address these issues by creating environments that promote both academic focus and personal well-being.

Digital Edition