Pittsburgh, PA (March 1st, 2020) – Globin Solutions, Inc., a startup biotechnology company formed by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh, is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a Fast-Track Small Business Technology Transfer Grant (STTR) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The award of up to $1.75 million dollars will support the pre-clinical development of a novel carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning scavenging agent over the next 34 months.

The development work will be performed in a partnership between Globin Solutions and the University of Pittsburgh. Globin licensed the intellectual property for the company’s technology platform from the University of Pittsburgh.

 Jesús Tejero Bravo, PhD, (Chief Scientific Officer of Globin Solutions and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), and Jason J. Rose, MD, MBA, (Chief Executive Officer of Globin Solutions and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), will serve as principal investigators. Both Rose and Tejero Bravo are co-founders and equity holders in Globin Solutions. The University of Pittsburgh also has equity in Globin Solutions.

Globin Solutions is committed to developing a therapy for CO poisoning. Carbon monoxide as is the leading cause of poisoning death worldwide and is responsible for more than 50,000 emergency room visits in the United States annually.  Carbon monoxide exposure can result in debilitating effects on the body and the brain, including cognitive deficits that can persist months or years after surviving a CO poisoning event. There is currently no antidotal therapy available for CO poisoning.

Since its inception, Globin Solutions has made great progress in developing an antidotal therapy for carbon monoxide poisoning. It is because of Globin Solution’s continued success and scientific breakthroughs that the company was selected for the very competitive Fast-Track STTR award.

“Selection for this award from the NIH NIEHS highlights the value and high commercialization potential for our carbon monoxide antidotal technology. These funds will provide Globin Solutions critical resources to continue the development of a therapeutic agent for potential human testing,” said Dr Rose, a co-principal investigator on the grant award.

“I am thrilled to lead this exciting scientific project in a collaboration between Globin Solutions and the University of Pittsburgh. Leading the group of fantastic scientific experts at the University of Pittsburgh is an honor. I feel we can truly leverage the expertise of protein engineering, globin chemistry and carbon monoxide poisoning at the University of Pittsburgh to accelerate the development program for our novel carbon monoxide poisoning antidote,” said Dr Tejero Bravo, the lead investigator on the grant program. 

Globin Solutions is motivated to develop its CO scavenging technologies through preclinical testing with the goal to pursue regulatory clearance for clinical testing. Globin licensed the intellectual property underlying the company’s initial formation from the University of Pittsburgh. The company is now partnering with experts in globin chemistry and protein engineering through sponsored research agreements with the University of Pittsburgh in order to further develop a pipeline of agents for CO poisoning and other indications. More information can be found at http://www.globinsolutions.com.

Through the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, NIEHS supports small businesses in the development of innovative applications to transform, translate, and communicate environmental health research to improve public health. The NIEHS STTR program helps bring many different technologies to market that: detect exposures to environmental hazards; provide innovative test systems for understanding the effects of toxicants on cells and tissues; improve understanding of environmental health science concepts; increase worker health and safety; and remove contaminants from soil, water, or air. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/sbir/index.cfm

Forward-looking statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the development of Globin Solutions’ products, the potential benefits and attributes of such products, and Globin Solutions’ expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause our research and development programs, future results, working capital, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the conduct of clinical studies, enrollment in clinical studies, whether clinical study results for obtained to date will be predictive of future results, regulatory risks and uncertainties and other matters that could affect the commercial potential of our drug candidates and our ability to raise capital.