Bifunctional potassium-ATP channel opener and redox catalyst for therapy of spina

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Radikal Therapeutics (RTX) is developing a first-in-class cytoprotective small molecule (R-801) for the prevention of spinal cord injury (SCI) based upon the chemical fusion of 2 discrete chemical domains that: 1) target redox stress via a nitroxide spin-trap moiety, and 2) trigger the endogenous ischemic-preconditioning response via mitochondrial-selective K+-ATP channel activation. We have confirmed a powerful effect of R- 801 in rodent models of trauma, including hemorrhagic shock and ischemia reperfusion injury of the heart, lung, limb, and kidney. In a pilot study of spinal cord trauma (SCT), resuscitation of mice with R-801 produced an accelerating and non-plateauing improvement in motor function (20% total recovery over the first 10 days). R-801 has shown no evidence of toxicity in rodents and large animals. At present, R-801 is the first and only safe, effective, and selective mito-K+-ATP channel opener in development, as no other firm or academic center has