Intracoagulum fibrinolytic foam. New therapeutic proposal

Thrombosis is a potentially fatal disease. The search for effective and safe drugs to treat them is ongoing. New techniques and drugs are trying to achieve fibrinolysis without the occurrence of haemorrhagic complications. Fibrinolytics are not exempt from such complications and their aqueous dilutions do not allow them to remain at the thrombus site for long periods of time. Venous sclerotherapy has a greater effect when applied in the form of foams. These are more viscous than aqueous solutions allowing the sclerosing agents to remain in contact with the endothelium for longer. Thus a foam was developed to add a new form of fibrinolytic delivery increasing the contact area and the length of time it remains in contact with the thrombus resulting in greater therapeutic efficiency. By using lower doses of fibrinolytic the potential for haemorrhage is reduced. The fibrinolytic foam was created with CO2 human albumin and streptokinase. Tests with different gas/liquid phase ratios stability and apparent viscosity were carried out to characterise the foams and choose the most stable one. The fibrinolytic foam potentiated the fibrinolytic effect of streptokinase