Texas Tech doctor helping expand lung care in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Dr. Nils Nickel was named the principal investigator for a national study that is taking place in El Paso and will help expand lung care across the country.

Dr. Nickel works with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as a pulmolonegist and is working to help innovate a new medicine to help bust blood clots.

The study will help create a new medicine called TS23. It will expand local access to clinical trials. The medicine is primarily used to help with pulmonary embolism, which happens when blood clots travel up to your lungs.

"Over the last 40 and 50 years, there's not been any new innovation medications to really dissolve or bust these blood clots that we have in our lungs," said Dr. Nickel.

Current treatments for pulmonary embolism have an increased chance at bleeding and need a catheter lab. TS23 would allow doctors to give treatment through an IV, and help give care immediately.

"You do not need specialized personnel. You do not need an operating room. You don't need special equipment. You don't need a doctor who's trained in certain procedures. You can give this medication in a fairly resource limited setting."

El Paso has become one of the highest enrollment sites for the study in the country. Dr. Nickel hopes it can help expand care to an area like this one with limited access to cutting edge care.

"I also think that the region deserves to be part of cutting edge medical research and really participate in the future of medicine, so that's why we're really proud to have this trial here in El Paso."