Featured Inventors: A Vaccine to Stop Clots Before They Start
Innovating a New Path for Thrombosis Prevention
By: Crystal Carter, Ed.D.
In cardiovascular medicine, preventing dangerous blood clots without increasing bleeding risk has long been a scientific “holy grail.” This February, we celebrate two inventors rising to that challenge, Fatima Alshbool, PharmD, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Fadi Khasawneh, Ph.D., Professor and Department Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in the Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, located in Kingsville, whose pioneering work has led to a novel vaccine designed to prevent thrombosis, a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.
Their innovation, a peptide-based vaccine that targets a key platelet receptor involved in clot formation, holds promise for a future where antithrombotic therapy doesn’t come at the cost of dangerous bleeding. (PubMed)
Why They Do What They Do
For Drs. Alshbool and Khasawneh, motivation isn’t just scientific, it’s deeply human.
Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death globally. Central to many of these conditions is thrombosis, the uncontrolled formation of clots that can block blood vessels and lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other devastating outcomes. Current medications reduce clotting but often carry a risk of excessive bleeding, leaving clinicians and patients with difficult trade-offs.
“We want to restore that balance,” they explain. Their vaccine strategy is designed to block platelet activation that leads to harmful clotting while preserving the body’s ability to stop bleeding, potentially transforming how thrombotic diseases are prevented and treated. (MDPI)
The Innovation: What It Is and How It Works
Their technology, currently referred to as an EL2Vac vaccine, is designed to stimulate one’s own immune system to generate antibodies against the P2Y1 receptor, a protein on the surface of platelets that plays a pivotal role in ADP-mediated platelet activation and thrombosis. In vaccinated models, immune responses resulted in inhibition of platelet aggregation and delayed clot formation without prolonging bleeding times, which is a very encouraging safety signal that sets this approach apart from conventional antithrombotics. (PubMed)
By reducing pathological clotting while preserving normal hemostasis, this strategy could significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes for millions worldwide, without exposing them to one of the most debilitating side effects of current treatments.
Market Applications & Commercial Potential
The potential market for this technology is significant and diverse, including:
- Therapeutic use in the management and prevention of thromboembolic conditions
- Improved patient adherence through long-acting preventive protection
- Safer management of patients on blood thinners who require surgery or emergency care
With cardiovascular disease representing a multi-billion-dollar global market, a preventive therapy could see strong adoption across hospitals, specialty clinics, and public health systems. (Texas A&M Innovation one pager)
How the World Will Be Better If They Succeed
Imagine a world where people at risk for thrombosis, from patients with cardiovascular disease to those on long-term immobility or receiving certain treatments, could be protected with a vaccine rather than lifelong medication. Simpler treatment regimens. Fewer bleeding complications. Greater peace of mind.
“Our goal is to move beyond the limitations of existing therapies,” Dr. Alshbool says. “If we succeed, patients can avoid the dangerous side effects that come with many current antithrombotic drugs, and clinicians will have a safer tool to prevent life-threatening clots.”
How Texas A&M Innovation Has Helped Support Their Journey
The Texas A&M Innovation Office has been a partner every step of the way, helping Drs. Alshbool and Khasawneh navigate intellectual property strategy, disclosure, and early commercialization pathways. From guidance on protecting their technology through patents to connecting them with funding opportunities and translational resources, Innovation has helped translate their scientific discovery into a promising therapeutic platform.
“This support has been invaluable,” Dr. Khasawneh reflects. “It’s enabled us to think beyond publication and toward translating our science into meaningful health solutions and real-world impact.”
At Texas A&M Innovation, we’re proud to spotlight inventors who are not just breaking scientific ground, they’re building bridges between the lab and better human health.
Licensing Opportunities
This technology is available for licensing. Companies and investors interested in partnering to advance this thrombosis vaccine toward commercialization are encouraged to connect with:
Stewart Davis, Assistant Licensing Director, Texas A&M Innovation
Texas A&M Innovation welcomes industry collaborations to help bring this promising technology to market and improve cardiovascular health outcomes worldwide.
