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ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Merganser: Hip to Hep

Merganser developing hepcidin hormone peptide mimetics for beta thalassemia

February 25, 2013 8:00 AM UTC

Merganser Biotech Inc. is working on a treatment for beta thalassemia that can reduce the toxic accumulation of iron. The company expects using peptide mimetics to regulate iron absorption will be more effective than mopping excess iron up after the fact, as marketed chelators do.

Beta thalassemia is an Orphan genetic blood disorder caused by aberrant synthesis of beta globin (HBB) chains resulting in continuous overproduction of defective proteins, many of which are broken down and release a glut of iron...