EG-1960

EG-1960 is a first-in-class product designed to prevent the secondary complication of hematoma expansion (rebleeding) after a spontaneous ICH. Studies of patients with spontaneous ICH show that the hematoma (hemorrhage) enlarges within the first day in about 40% of cases.  Since hematoma volume is an important predictor of poor outcome, preventing enlargement may improve outcome. Following the primary injury, hematoma expansion is the leading secondary cause of death and permanent disability following ICH. Preventing hematoma expansion or recurrent bleeding has been studied by oral and intravenous administration of drugs that increase the body’s ability to stop bleeding. These approaches have tended to decrease the risk of rebleeding in the brain; however, they did not improve patient outcome.  One likely reason these previous approaches have failed to improve patient outcome is that doses high enough to be effective to prevent hematoma expansion at the site of injury also results in serious systemic side effects such as heart attack and ischemic stroke. EG-1960 will use either ε-aminocaproic acid or recombinant Factor VII and it will be delivered directly to the brain. EG-1960 will be released for only 3-5 days since this is the timeframe when most rebleeding occurs.

The improved delivery method should reduce hematoma expansion while sparing unwanted clotting side effects outside the brain, thus lowering morbidity and mortality due to re-bleeding.