RedCell Looks Forward With "Anchor" Technology

RedCell, based in South San Francisco in the USA, was founded in August1993. Its focus for development revolves around what it calls "Anchor" technology.

"Anchors," the company says, are small synthetic molecules which are used to "permanently bind therapeutic agents in vivo to red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma proteins, thus increasing the half-life of the anchored drug hundreds-fold and giving the bound drug the carrier's own distribution characteristics." The therapeutic agent is chemically conjugated at one end of the molecule, while the other end remains free for attachment to specific targets.

The "Anchors" have different chemical binding groups which allows them to bind to the carriers in two different ways. Affinity groups recognize and bind to a specific molecular target. This then allows the drug, linked to the Anchor, to specify a unique carrier protein and bind temporarily to it. The second binding groups are designated reactive groups whereby a chemical reaction occurs between the Anchor and the carrier protein, forging a permanent link.