Products invented by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers to treat orthostatic hypotension have been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Orthostatic hypotension is a phenomenon that occurs when a person’s blood pressure suddenly falls when changing physical position, such as standing up from a sitting or lying position. Although not life-threatening, a treatment could benefit elderly patients who may be subject to falling during these episodes or young patients who suffer from more severe forms. A treatment also could benefit people undergoing other therapies that result in a drop of blood pressure, like chemotherapy, or suffer from dizziness or low blood pressure due to heart arrhythmias or anesthesia.

IU School of Medicine researchers have shown that a specific class of compounds could potentially treat orthostatic hypertension. They disclosed their invention to the Indiana University Innovation and Commercialization Office, which protects, markets and licenses intellectual property developed at Indiana University so it can be commercialized by industry.

More information about disclosing inventions to IU ICO and how to license them for commercial applications is available online.