Perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carriers: What is new in 2024?

Perflurocarbon-based oxygen carriers (PBOC) represent a major category of artificial oxygen therapeutics. Since their initial report of potential oxygen-carrying capability half a century ago, some PBOC products have been developed for the purpose of oxygen therapeutics. Unfortunately, the majority of these products have been discontinued due to side effects, such as Flusol-DA-20, Oxygent, and Oxycyte. PBOC is unique due to its inorganic nature and relatively smaller molecules, making it possible to production in massive quantity. Perftoran was developed in Moscow, Russia, and approved for clinical use in Russia and Mexico from 2005 to 2010. Perftoran had been administered to over 35,000 patients with purportedly relatively mild adverse effects. Thus, FluorO2 Therapeutics, Inc. is rebranding and investigating it for the North America market. PHER-O2 is undergoing active translational research, with the goal of reaching clinical stages of application. Albumin-derived perfluorocarbon-based artificial oxygen carriers are the newest development in PBOC field of blood substitute/oxygen therapeutics.