Project description
A dialysis device for sepsis
Sepsis is a life-threatening immune reaction to an infection that leads to widespread inflammation throughout the body and organ damage. Bacterial endotoxins play a key role in the pathogenesis of septic shock by strongly activating the immune system. Conventional therapy involves the intravenous administration of antibiotics, but it is often insufficient to reverse the impact of endotoxins once they reach the bloodstream. To address this problem, the EU-funded MagnoBeads project has developed an innovative technology for treating sepsis. It functions as a dialysis device filtering out bacterial endotoxins from blood using magnetic nanoparticles. Testing in preclinical models demonstrated that removing these endotoxins halts the septic response, offering a hopeful intervention for sepsis.
Objective
Hemotune is a Swiss academic spin-off company founded in 2017 to commercialize proprietary blood purification technology using uniquely designed magnetic nanoparticles, developed at ETH Zürich. Hemotune is financially supported by Wyss Zurich and the Gebert Rüf foundation to develop a product to treat sepsis. Sepsis affects 19 million people each year, and with a mortality rate of 30% it is the most common cause of death in intensive care units. Currently, no cure for sepsis exists, and treatment focuses on relieving symptoms. Therefore, a huge market opportunity exists for curative sepsis treatments, which is estimated to reach €4.3 billion by 2026.
Using its proprietary blood purification technology, hemotune aims to capitalize on this market opportunity by developing a dialysis-like device that removes endotoxins (molecules responsible for sepsis) from the blood. This device employs magnetic nanoparticles to selectively capture endotoxins, which are subsequently filtered out of the blood by a magnetic filter. By removing these endotoxins, the septic response is halted, stabilizing the patient. This technology was successfully tested in small-scale animal models, and now R&D activities will focus on developing a human-sized prototype product, ready for clinical evaluation.
Financial support from the SMEi phase 1 will be used to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of the nanoparticle-based blood purification platform as a treatment strategy for sepsis. Technical feasibility includes usability engineering, and feasibility studies into the upscaling, and into regulatory feasibility to receive market authorization. Commercial feasibility entails a freedom to operate analysis, and composition of solid IP and commercialization strategies. This SMEi phase 1 feasibility study, combined with the ongoing R&D delivering the prototype product, put hemotune in an excellent position to rapidly move forward towards clinical trials.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8092 ZURICH
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.