Better bile-binding treatment for long-acting anticoagulant (superwarfarin) poisoning

Optimization of Bile Sequestrants to Treat Superwarfarin Poisoning

NIH-funded research University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11160707

This project tests whether bile-sequestering medicines can help remove long-acting rat-poison anticoagulants like brodifacoum from people who were exposed.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11160707 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you've been exposed to a long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide (LAAR) like brodifacoum, researchers are working to improve drugs that bind bile to pull the toxin out of the body. The team builds on animal results showing that the bile sequestrant cholestyramine greatly improved survival and will optimize dosing and formulations to trap LAARs more effectively. Work will include lab binding studies, animal experiments, and steps toward applying the best approaches to human clinical care or sample testing. The goal is to reduce how long patients need high-dose vitamin K and lower the risk of bleeding, kidney, and nerve damage.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people (including children and adults) with documented exposure to long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides such as brodifacoum or ongoing evidence of LAAR in blood or clinical bleeding.

Not a fit: People with no evidence of LAAR exposure, exposures to toxins that are not cleared via bile, or with medical contraindications to bile sequestrants may not benefit from this approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful this approach could speed removal of the poison, shorten or avoid prolonged vitamin K therapy, and reduce bleeding and organ damage.

How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies showed cholestyramine markedly increased survival after brodifacoum poisoning, but human clinical data are limited and this approach remains translational.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.