ZS Pharma receives $2M in Emerging Technology Fund
TECH Fort Worth Client, ZS Pharma, Inc., has received $2 million in an Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) investment from the State of Texas. This investment will provide ZS Pharma the funds to develop oral sorbents designed to eliminate life threatening toxins that build up in patients with either liver or kidney disease. At the UNT Health Science Center, ZS Pharma will spend a portion of the ETF funding on activities to advance the commercialization of its technology. ZS Pharma's core technology platform uses zirconium silicate crystals to specifically target excess toxins, such as potassium, ammonium, urea and phosphate, that have built up in the body as a result of liver or kidney failure. There is currently no effective treatment for hyperkalemia, or high levels of potassium in the blood, and treatments that do exist are not suited for chronic conditions that require constant treatment. Taken with food, ZS Pharma's tasteless and odorless therapy provides an alternative to hemodialysis which can be dangerous and more expensive. The new advanced compound will provide a better quality of life, an alternative to expensive medical costs for dialysis and other procedures, and a significant medical breakthrough in treating acute and chronic hyperkalemia.
The ETF investment fund was designed to attract top scientists and entrepreneurs in growing areas including life science and pharmaceuticals in Texas.
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