perflubron (OriGen Biomedical)

Perflubron (perfluorooctyl bromide) is a synthetic, radiopaque perfluorocarbon liquid characterized by exceptionally high solubility for respiratory gases, including oxygen and carbon dioxide. Originally developed by Alliance Pharmaceutical Corporation, perflubron has been investigated across multiple clinical modalities. It was approved by the FDA in 1993 as an oral contrast agent for gastrointestinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under the brand name Imagent. Additionally, it was developed as an intravenous emulsion (Oxygent) to serve as a temporary blood substitute/oxygen carrier during surgery, and as an intrapulmonary liquid ventilation agent (LiquiVent) for partial liquid ventilation (PLV) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although Phase III trials for PLV did not demonstrate a survival benefit, leading to the discontinuation of those programs, perflubron remains a subject of active clinical interest. Currently, companies like Orixha are utilizing perflubron in total liquid ventilation (TLV) systems (such as Vent2Cool and Vent2Breathe) to induce ultra-rapid therapeutic hypothermia in post-cardiac arrest patients and to provide lung-protective respiratory support in ARDS.

Brand names

ImagentImagent BPImagent GILiquiVentOxygent

Other names

1-bromo-1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptadecafluorooctane1-bromoheptadecafluorooctane1-bromoperfluorooctaneheptadecafluoro-N-octyl bromideheptadecafluorooctyl bromideperfluoroctyl bromideperfluoroctylbromideperfluorooctyl bromideperfluorooctylbromidePFOB