HOPO 14-1

HOPO 14-1 is an investigational drug product for removing radioactive contaminants from the body. It is an oral capsule designed to act as a defence against radioactive threats such as nuclear power plant accidents or dirty bomb attacks. The active ingredient is the hydroxypyridinone ligand 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO), which is a powerful chelating agent. HOPO 14-1 works by selectively binding to heavy metals in the body and forming a complex that the body can naturally excrete. The drug is also being studied as a treatment for other forms of heavy metal toxicity, including lead poisoning and exposure to gadolinium from MRI contrast agents. HOPO 14-1 was developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory by actinide chemist Rebecca Abergel. Abergel and former postdoc Julian Avery Rees co-founded HOPO Therapeutics, a company commercializing HOPO 14-1 and other treatments for heavy metal poisoning.