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Michael Shannon, MD, MPH |
For 35 years, Children's Hospital Boston has used D-penicillamine, an oral chelator, to treat children with lead poisoning. But it's never been FDA-approved for children, and its noxious, rotten-egg smell and taste have limited its use. So Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, chief emeritus of the Division of Emergency Medicine, worked with a Rhode Island-based company to develop a grape-flavored version that children would actually ingest.
But sadly, no drug company was
interested in mounting the clinical trials needed to get FDA approval for the new formulation. Years of lead screening and abatement efforts have made lead
poisoning an "orphan" disease. But Boston-based venture capitalist Roger Kitterman was interested, and raised seed money from angel investors. This support has enabled Dr. Shannon to obtain a grant from the FDA and launch a small clinical trial in children with moderate blood-lead elevations.
Dr. Shannon hopes that aggressive treatment will spare children from the behavioral and cognitive consequences of even mild lead poisoning.
More information on the trial:
617-355-8177
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