hemotune

hemotune is developing the HemoSystem, a breakthrough medical device for acute-care blood purification.

The first treatment under development is designed to restore adequate immune function in septic shock. Sepsis is the most severe form of an infection in which the body's own defense reaction damages the body’s tissue and organs, leading to a life-threatening situation. The World Health Organization estimates that around 50 million people worldwide are affected by sepsis every year, causing 11 million deaths, or 20% of all global deaths.

HemoSystem consists of three components: the HemoDevice, a dialysis-machine-like device that performs the treatment; the HemoDisposable, a disposable set containing all tubing and plastic parts that come into direct contact with the blood; and the HemoSorbent, a mixture of magnetic beads – so-called HemoBeads – that are directed against multiple disease-related compounds.

While traditional blood-purification devices use non-specific dialysis filters or adsorber cartridges, the HemoSystem is based on a mixture of nanostructured magnetic beads that contain a magnetic core and specific binding agents that allow them to interact only with selected targets. During treatment, a magnetic filter efficiently removes beads and bound targets before the blood is returned to the patient. This direct application of a mixture of different beads is unique in that it allows for the simultaneous removal of multiple disease-related compounds, which would not be achievable using drugs.

During the tenure at Wyss Zurich, the team, led by Lukas Langenegger, advanced the technology and defined the regulatory strategy for magnetic blood purification as a medical device. The team is continuing development at hemotune AG and preparing a clinical trial aimed at gaining market approval of the HemoSystem for use in sepsis.