Researchers at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) have partnered with La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company to address a condition called catecholamine-resistant hypotension, or CRH, in which blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels and is unresponsive to currently available treatments. Severely low blood pressure robs the body’s vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to life-threatening circulatory shock.
The company’s new drug, LJPC-501, is a new type of angiotensin II — an extremely potent vasoconstrictor designed to narrow the muscular wall of blood vessels. The exclusive, worldwide license agreement between La Jolla and GW provides intellectual property rights covering the use of angiotensin II for the therapeutic treatment of patients with hypotension and shock.
“The discovery of novel therapies to help patients in need is at the core of the mission of the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences,” says Robert Miller, Ph.D., Vivian Gill Distinguished Research, senior associate dean for research, and professor of anatomy and regenerative biology. “We aim to bring better options to patients who face life-threatening risks associated with hypotension.” SMHS provided initial support for this research project.
