NormOxys Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The founders of NormOxys are working to commercialize molecules similar to those that give migratory birds the fortitude to fly thousands of miles. When the compound inositol pentaphosphate binds to the protein hemoglobin, its presence helps release up to three of the four oxygen molecules that hemoglobin picks up in the lungs and carries out to the body. NormOxys is betting that its lead candidate can help elevate oxygen levels in human tissues that lack it, and so become a treatment for a range of disorders, from heart failure to diabetic retinopathy, traumatic blood loss, and even cancer.