Low-dose oral carbon monoxide for diabetic retinopathy
Official title: HBI-002 to Treat Diabetic Retinopathy
Funded at Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, INC. · NIH-11192356 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A low-dose oral carbon monoxide medicine aimed at protecting vision in adults with diabetic retinopathy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Montrose, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $961,240 |
| NIH project number | 5R44EY033264-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11192356 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diabetes who have signs of diabetic retinopathy, especially those with early or progressive retinal damage, would be the likely candidates for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetic retinopathy or those with advanced, irreversible retinal scarring are unlikely to benefit from this treatment.
What this research studies
This project is developing HBI-002, an oral formulation that delivers low doses of carbon monoxide intended to protect retinal cells damaged by diabetes. Researchers will use translational animal models of diabetic retinopathy to study dosing, safety, and whether the drug can prevent or slow retinal injury. Earlier Phase 1 testing in healthy adults showed the oral product was tolerated and produced expected blood levels, and the current work will build on those findings. The goal is to generate the data needed to move HBI-002 into future clinical trials in people with diabetic eye disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could slow or prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy with an easy-to-take oral medication.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical animal studies have shown protective effects of low-dose carbon monoxide and multiple early human trials in other conditions have shown tolerable safety, but benefit in people with diabetic retinopathy has not yet been demonstrated.
Where this research is happening
-
Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, INC.
Montrose, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gomperts, Edward — Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals, INC.
- Study coordinator: Gomperts, Edward
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.