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work as it became apparent that HIF-1 did far mor
e than mediate EPO production. It also is integral to glucose metabolism, including glycolysis and other metabolic pathways.” One of the first applications for this research is the treatment of anemia, according to Semenza. “EPO controls red blood cell production, and it has been possible for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs that increase EPO production in patients with kidney failure. One of these drugs, which is currently in clinical trials in the U.S. and in Europe, has been approved in China and Japan. We anticipate approval in the U.S. during 2020 or 2021.” Semenza also is pursuing a drug that inhibits HIF-1 and its applications for cancer treatment. “We have identified several compounds that inhibit the ability of HIF-1 to turn on the expression of genes and we have shown that these compounds are active as inhibitors of tumor growth in mouse models, and I want to continue to study them,” he says. In one small trial of a HIF-2 inhibitor developed by a startup company called Peloton, several patients responded well and larger trials are taking place now. Gregg Semenza at the Nobel Prize award ceremony on 10 December 2019 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 75 © NOBEL MEDIA AB PHOTO ALEXANDER MAHMOUD