Sepsis is a serious medical condition that affects millions of patients in hospitals around the world annually. It results from an excessive immune response to infection that leads to the body's tissues and organs being attacked, and may develop into septic shock and multiple organ failure if not diagnosed and treated early.
Researchers have developed a candidate drug for treating sepsis known as STC3141, a small carbohydrate-based molecule, in collaboration between Professor Mark von Etzstein and his team from the Institute of Biomedicine and Sugars at Griffith University, and Professor Christopher Parrish and his team from the Australian National University.
The results of the trial showed the drug's ability to reduce sepsis in humans, after achieving the main objectives of the study, as confirmed by Professor Etzstein.
The drug was administered intravenously via a small tube, allowing it to flow slowly into the bloodstream. It successfully counteracted the release of large biomolecules that occurs in the body during sepsis, thus reducing organ damage and reversing its effects. (In sepsis, the immune system overreacts, releasing large amounts of large biomolecules into the bloodstream. These substances are not inherently harmful, but when released excessively and uncontrollably, they cause severe inflammation and organ damage.)
The second phase of the trial, conducted by Grand Pharma, included 180 patients with sepsis, given the absence of a specific treatment for this disease so far, making it one of the most prominent unmet medical needs globally.
Etzstein stated that the company intends to move to the third phase of clinical trials to further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the new treatment.
He added: "We hope that this treatment will become available on the market within the next few years, which could help save millions of lives."
