Whereas earlier medicines of the class, such as beractant (Survanta & Beraksurf), calfactant (Infasurf), and poractant (Curosurf), are derived from animals, lucinactant is synthetic.
It can be used up to two years of age and is specified for children who are diagnosed with acute respiratory failure following exposure to a pathogen such as RSV or influenza, including H1N1.
[citation needed] The scientific groundwork for lucinactant was laid in the laboratory of Charles Cochrane at The Scripps Research Institute in the 1990s.
[11] A placebo was used and considered ethical by design since infants born in Latin America usually do not have access to life saving treatment.
The intent of Discovery Labs was always to market Surfaxin in the United States, implying burdens on the Latin American children that outweighed the benefits.