Apr 29, 2020
MediSieve Expands its Research Into Treating COVID-19
The team focused its activities on investigating how to help treat COVID-19 patients more effectively.
Recent studies show that patients with the most serious forms of the coronavirus had high levels of something called IL-6, a common inflammatory cytokine, which MediSieve has previously encountered while researching sepsis and cytokine storms.
Recognising similarities between these findings, Chief Technology Officer Dr Cristina Blanco-Andujar has focused the team's activities on investigating how to use the magnetic blood filtration system to help treat COVID-19 patients more effectively.
Magnetic blood filtration is a revolutionary method of treating blood-borne diseases by removing pathogens, toxins or other targets directly from a patient’s bloodstream. Practically any component can be specifically targeted and removed, providing a platform technology that can be used to treat a huge range of blood-borne medical conditions.
Finding a way to selectively and rapidly target and remove IL-6 from COVID-19 patients’ bloodstream could be extremely beneficial.
Currently, the majority of severe COVID-19 patients are treated with immunoblockers or immunosuppressants. While still effective treatments, their most dangerous drawback is that the suppressants stay in the bloodstream, leaving patients immunsupressed while fighting the infection.
“Using the technology developed by MediSieve means that treatment is tuned for a certain amount of time and then stops without having a lasting effect on the patient. It’s an exciting development and we’re actively exploring and accelerating our research so we can progress to clinical trials”, Dr Blanco-Andujar explains.
To ensure that its technology is made available as soon as possible MediSieve has applied for funding schemes to help the company with research and development.
About Magnetic Blood Filtration
MediSieve's Magnetic Blood Filtration Platform is intended to enable the rapid and specific depletion of specific agents from the bloodstream of patients. The extracorporeal therapy uses therapeutic Magnetic Beads that are designed to bind specifically to the clinical target. The Beads are introduced into the extracorporeal circuit during the therapy, mixing with the patient’s blood and binding to the clinical targets. The Delivery Platform captures all the Magnetic Beads and bound targets, preventing their return to the patient.
About MediSieve
MediSieve is a London-based BioTech start-up that has developed Magnetic Blood Filtration, a revolutionary platform therapy that enables the physical removal of specific substances from the bloodstream of patients. It can be used (1) as a direct treatment, (2) to increase the safety and efficacy of other therapies, or (3) to enable personalised medicine. The company is a spin-off from University College London and is developing its products at the White City Innovation District in West London. MediSieve is actively seeking investment and partnerships.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alina Kagermazova
INVESTOR AND PARTNERSHIP CONTACT:
George Frodsham
