A biotechnology startup developing an anti-inflammatory therapeutic that uses a protein component of plasma to treat sepsis and other conditions has raised $3 million, according to an amended Form D filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Morristown, New Jersey-based BioAegis Therapeutics is developing recombinant human plasma gelsolin to restore plasma gelsolin levels in patients where it is depleted, particularly in critical care patients. The protein plays a critical role in containing inflammation.
It licensed the technology for recombinant plasma gelsolin from Brigham and Women’s Hospital where it was developed by Dr. Thomas Stossel, director of translational medicine, along with collaborators at Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and BloodCenter of Wisconsin. Biogen and Critical Biologics have previously tried to advance the therapeutic.
Biogen licensed the technology in 1994 and had tried to develop it to treat patients with cystic fibrosis. Critical Biologics had tried to develop it for intensive care unit patients to boost the gelsolin levels in these patients and decrease the probability that they would develop complications such as organ system failure or death from their underlying disease, according to the clinicaltrials.gov website.
Severe sepsis is estimated to affect 750,000 people annually in the U.S. The condition has a 28.6 percent mortality rate.
In addition to sepsis, BioAegis thinks the therapeutic could be used to combat many different conditions associated with inflammation, trauma, burns and renal diseases. The company is currently developing a portfolio of biomarker-directed treatments, according to its website.
