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 The Original Ikaria The original Ikaria was founded in order to commercialize research conducted in Dr. Mark Roth's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle. Dr. Roth demonstrated that it is possible to induce a state of reversible metabolic hibernation in mice and other animals (Science, 2005). Early research suggests that hibernation may be a latent ability in all mammals and may provide an opportunity to improve medical outcomes through induced hibernation and suspended animation of cells, tissues, organs, and whole organisms. Ikaria technology derives from a fundamental new understanding of the metabolic flexibility that is pervasive in nature and is evolutionarily conserved throughout the animal kingdom. Roth hypothesized that metabolic flexibility may have important clinical benefits in humans. Metabolic control, or hibernation on demand, may buy critical time for patients undergoing surgery or in acute conditions resulting from stroke, cardiac arrest or trauma. The technology may help lengthen the period of time that tissues, cells, and organs for transplantation can exist outside the body. Translational work from lower species to rodents has confirmed the concept of mammalian hibernation and shown proof of principal in animal models of acute ischemia and reperfusion diseases, even at low doses where hibernation does not occur. These findings have led Ikaria to focus on research in hypoxic/ischemic injury. The company's mission is to translate the concept of metabolic flexibility into products for physicians and other health care providers. INO Therapeutics While the original Ikaria was formed around discovery and pre-clinical development, INO Therapeutics was formed around the commercialization of another molecule, nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, a molecule that exists for short periods of time in the body's tissues, was determined to transmit biological signals through membranes and regulate the function of other cells. This discovery led to the awarding of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad for their work on nitric oxide. INO Therapeutics took on the challenge of developing nitric oxide for clinical applications. This work led to the approval of INOmax® (nitric oxide) for inhalation for the treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure in term- and near-term neonates with evidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension. The inhalation of INOmax may cause dilation of constricted pulmonary blood vessels and lead to an improvement in oxygenation and a reduction in the need for a more invasive procedure called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. INOmax is used in thousands of neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure per year. Important safety information about INOmax: INOmax should not be used in the treatment of neonates known to be dependent on right-to-left shunting of blood. Abrupt discontinuation of INOmax may lead to a worsening condition. Methemoglobinemia is a dose-dependent side effect of inhaled nitric oxide therapy. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) forms rapidly in gas mixtures containing nitric oxide and oxygen thus may cause airway inflammation and damage. Methemoglobin, NO2, and FiO2 should be monitored during nitric oxide administration. For complete information on INOmax, including important safety information and full prescribing information, please visit INOmax.com. In 2005 INO Therapeutics began developing another gaseous signaling molecule for clinical use. This molecule, carbon monoxide, has entered Phase 2 studies for the reduction in the incidence and severity of delayed graft function in renal transplantation. The Name "Ikaria" The name Ikaria, incorporates the origins of modern medicine and embraces the therapeutic power long-associated with natural compounds. Ikaria is the name of a Greek island renowned for medicinal sulfur springs that have been used for more than 2000 years. The Greek philosopher Herodotus was the first observer of their curative properties. He instructed his disciples, among them Hippocrates - the father of modern medicine - on the healing power of Ikaria's sulfur springs. Recent discoveries demonstrate that some of the compounds found on the island of Ikaria are generated by our own cells to regulate fundamental metabolic functions in health and disease. Ikaria is leveraging its recent discoveries in this area to develop products to improve human health by harnessing the therapeutic power of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. |
