Freeze Dried Plasma for Canines

Blood loss due to severe hemorrhaging is the leading cause of preventable combat death. Fresh frozen human plasma is commonly used to stabilize the wounded soldiers, but it is heavy, has a limited shelf life, and requires frozen storage. Currently, dried human plasma is being evaluated by the FDA, and has been used in several countries for some time. In addition to soldiers, several hundred war dogs are currently deployed for active duty. Canine casualties are inevitable, yet emergency plasma therapy for these animals may be nonexistent. Phase I of this project will determine the feasibility of preparing a canine plasma concentrate (CPC) that includes stabilizers to permit storage and transport for use in wounded war dogs in hostile field conditions. The ideal CPC will be stable at 140F for two years and ready-to-use in two minutes after reconstitution with sterile water. Phase II work will include further optimizing conditions for stabilizing and facile production, optimizing packaging for transport and simplified field use, and evaluating efficacy in a clinical trial. Phase III will focus on civilian commercial applications, including police dogs and supplying rural emergency veterinary clinics.