LAKEWOOD, Colo., U.S., and SANTA ROSA, Calif., U.S., July 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acute kidney injury (AKI) and sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (S-AKI) are life-threatening conditions, with many patients dying and others left with long-term kidney damage requiring lifelong dialysis and resulting in early death.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo), a medical technology company, and Eliaz Therapeutics Inc. (ETI), a medical device company, today announced an exclusive collaboration to help combat AKI and S-AKI by focusing on the selective removal of an upstream inflammatory protein called Galectin-3 (Gal-3) from blood plasma.
The in-hospital mortality rate for patients with AKI has been estimated at 20% to 25%,1 while critically ill patients with dialysis-requiring AKI have mortality rates exceeding 50%.2 Patients who survive an episode of AKI face a lifelong increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cardiovascular events and reduced quality of life. Treatment for AKI/S-AKI is primarily supportive as no therapeutic modalities have shown efficacy.3
Terumo and ETI will initially conduct studies on large animals followed by human clinical trials. Large animal studies are scheduled to start later this year. The collaboration will use Terumo’s Spectra Optia® Apheresis System with ETI’s novel XGal-3® column that is designed to selectively remove Gal-3 from blood plasma. XGal-3 is being developed as…
