Licensing Spotlight: From UAMS Research to NuvOx’s NanO₂ Stroke Program
A technology developed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and licensed through BioVentures is continuing its path toward the clinic as NanO₂, an investigational oxygen therapeutic being developed by NuvOx Therapeutics for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The underlying innovation was discovered by William C. Culp, M.D., Robert D. Skinner, Ph.D., and Evan C. Unger, M.D. and is based on dodecafluoropentane emulsion (DDFPe), a technology designed to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues affected by ischemia. During an ischemic stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, depriving brain tissue of the oxygen needed to survive. Early research at UAMS demonstrated the potential of DDFPe to support oxygen delivery to vulnerable brain tissue in preclinical models of ischemic stroke. These findings led to the development of intellectual property covering the use of DDFPe for stroke and ischemia, which was subsequently licensed to NuvOx Therapeutics through BioVentures. Since licensing, the technology has continued to advance through both preclinical and clinical development. UAMS investigators evaluated intravenous DDFPe in an early randomized, controlled, dose-escalation clinical trial involving patients with acute ischemic stroke, generating data that supported continued clinical investigation. Today, NuvOx is evaluating NanO₂ in NOVEL, a Phase IIb clinical trial in the UK with 150 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion. The study is investigating NanO₂ in combination with standard reperfusion therapy and is designed to evaluate its ability to reduce brain infarct size by improving oxygen delivery to tissue at risk. While NanO₂ remains an investigational therapy and has not yet been approved for general medical use, its progress illustrates how discoveries made within academic research institutions can evolve into promising therapeutic candidates through intellectual property protection, licensing, and industry partnership. BioVentures is proud to support the commercialization of innovations that have the potential to improve patient care while translating groundbreaking university research into real-world impact.
