US scientists at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have developed a new drug that can restore the function of oxygen-starved heart tissue under the conditions of hypoxia, according to the results of a new study released over the weekend, reports Xinhua from San Francisco.

The new drug called OMX-CV was developed by Omniox, Inc., one of the first biotech startups launched in the incubator space on the UCSF’s Mission Bay campus in 2010.

The biopharmaceutical company has been developing oxygen-delivery therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, trauma and other conditions in which low oxygen levels, or hypoxia, negatively impact disease outcomes.

The new drug does not cause systemic side effects or overcorrect with excessive blood oxygenation, which can itself be toxic. It delivers its precious oxygen cargo only to the tissues that need it most.

The UCSF researchers have tested the treatment and found the new oxygen-delivery therapeutic is capable of restoring the function of oxygen-starved heart tissue in an animal model of global hypoxia.

Their findings were published in the journal PLOS Biology on Thursday.

The tissues of human body can suffer major damage if they are running low on oxygen, and such hypoxic conditions can lead to long-term tissue damage or even heart attacks.