Afid Therapeutics has completed in vitro and in vivo demonstrations of the efficacy of its new ‘traceless’ anticoagulant, which the company said could replace heparin in many applications.

The in vivo and some of the in vitro studies were carried out by an independent certified third party laboratory, according to the Lansing, Mich.-based company.

Afid said its anticoagulant mimics heparin and is designed to produce only carbohydrates and amino acids when it degrades in the blood stream thus minimizing the risks of side effects. Cell toxicity studies carried out thus far show no effect on the viability of mammalian cells.

Heparin is a complex drug used beyond the reach of chemical synthesis and can only be obtained from sources such as the intestines and lungs of pigs and cattle. The manufacture and use of heparin from cattle is banned in the U.S., Canada and Europe, who receive commercial sources of heparin from China, where it is purified from the intestines of pigs. The company said there is a very high degree of variability in activity and preparations are prone to contamination, which may have led to the February recall of Baxter’s heparin.