Dr. Vishal Bansal on Troy Talks (Fox 5 KUSI Now): Concussions in Women's Sports and the Race for the First FDA-Approved Drug
Watch the full segment on Fox 5 KUSI Now (Troy Talks)
Oxeia's Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Vishal Bansal, also Chief of Trauma Surgery at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, joined sports anchor Troy Hirsch on Troy Talks (Fox 5 KUSI Now) to talk about why female athletes are showing more severe and longer-lasting concussion symptoms than their male counterparts, and the work his team is doing to bring the first FDA-approved drug for concussion to market. In 2026, there is still not a single one.
On why female athletes face unique concussion risk:
"The head is naked and so you're getting hit hard with balls, you're getting hit hard with other players."
On why concussions in girls look different:
"Currently we think that girls that suffer concussions generally have more symptoms on the outside. And generally these symptoms do last a little bit longer. We're unclear on why that's the case."
On the discovery that started Oxeia:
"In that lab we discovered that… ghrelin, which is produced in our body, it's a natural occurring hormone, has incredible effects on preventing brain injury… This will be the first of its class medication that can help with concussion symptoms."
OXE103 is based on ghrelin, a naturally occurring hormone produced in the body that Dr. Bansal's UCSD lab found to have remarkable effects on preventing brain injury. In a Phase 2a study run out of the University of Kansas Medical Center, OXE103 produced an almost 85% responder rate in patients with persistent concussion symptoms compared to those who didn't receive the drug.
Oxeia is now fundraising on StartEngine for Phase 2b: a 160-patient, multi-site, randomized, placebo-controlled trial planned to begin later this year, on the path to what could be the first FDA-approved drug for concussion. Oxeia's board includes former NFL quarterback Alex Smith, with former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman serving as an advisor.
Join the mission to bring the first FDA-approved treatment for persistent concussion symptoms to market.
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