Researchers Awarded Patent on Thrombosis Treatment

A patent has issued to researchers at Sinai Hospital's Center for Thrombosis Research (Baltimore, MD, USA) on a new method to treat vascular disease that involves the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and their metabolites. The patent covers "Methods of Inhibiting Platelet Activation with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.”

The researchers have discovered that SSRIs and their metabolites inhibit platelet activation. Platelet activation is a primary event in the occurrence of catastrophic cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Therefore, the new SSRI treatment approach is an attractive and potentially safe alternative to existing therapies for cardiovascular disease, says the research team.

"We are encouraged that our discovery of platelet inhibition by SSRIs and their metabolites was patented so quickly,” notes Victor Serebruany, M.D., a lead inventor and assistant professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "The next step for our team is to carefully choose an industry partner to share our proprietary rights on this new method for treating vascular disease.”


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