Northfield releases PolyHeme ANH data

Amid recent media scrutiny and government inquiries, NFLD released data from 152 evaluable patients in the Phase III Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution (ANH) trial of PolyHeme to treat abdominal aortic aneurysm. The data were released in lieu of a planned presentation at the Network for Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives meeting next month. In the open-label trial, which did not meet the primary endpoint of avoiding transfusion of donated blood, 10 patients given PolyHeme had myocardial infarction, two of which were fatal, vs. no MIs in the control group. The trial was conducted in the late 1990s and was ended early in 2000 because of difficulty enrolling patients. ...