With sepsis continuing to claim millions of lives each year despite decades of research, a new industry partnership is taking aim at the disease’s hidden culprit — neutrophil extracellular traps.

Now, a new alliance between Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies and Santersus AG aims to change that grim reality through a groundbreaking blood purification technology designed to remove harmful immune byproducts that drive the condition’s deadly spiral.

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to infection that overwhelms the body’s defenses. Each year, sepsis affects over 48 million people globally, claiming nearly 11 million lives — making it one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide. Current sepsis treatments are primarily supportive care, including the use of antimicrobials and intravenous

Both companies have joined forces to integrate NucleoCapture, a first-in-class blood purification technology, with Terumo’s Spectra Optia Apheresis System, in what could mark a pivotal step toward a targeted, life-saving intervention for sepsis.

Emerging evidence indicates that a key factor contributing to sepsis severity is the overproduction of NETs, which are networks of extracellular DNA released by immune cells during inflammation. When NETs accumulate excessively in the bloodstream, they can trigger a chain reaction that rapidly leads to organ failure.

Santersus’ NucleoCapture device is designed to selectively remove NETs from the blood plasma. By leveraging the therapeutic plasma exchange with a secondary plasma device (SPD) procedure, the Spectra Optia system draws blood from the patient and separates plasma from the other blood components.

The plasma is then passed through the NucleoCapture device to reduce the level of NETs, as per a release.

The treated plasma is recombined with the rest of the blood and then returned to the patient — all in one session. This procedure has the potential to improve sepsis outcomes by reducing mortality, minimizing organ support requirements and shortening intensive care unit stays when administered early in the diagnosis.

"Therapeutic apheresis has untapped potential to address unmet medical needs by selectively removing disease-related elements from a patient’s blood and returning the rest,” said Veerle d’Haenens, General Manager of Global Therapy Innovations at Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies.

“As a leader in this field, we are committed to advancing innovative treatment options using therapeutic apheresis through various collaboration opportunities. In the U.S. alone, sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitals, and the risk of mortality from sepsis rises by 4% to 9% for every hour treatment is delayed. Our partnership with Santersus reflects our mission to transform care for critically ill patients and offer hope where current treatments fall short.”

"This partnership is a key milestone for NucleoCapture as we strive to bring this technology to patients globally,” said Scott Maguire, Chairman of Santersus. “NETs are a major driver of inflammation in acute and chronic conditions, and NucleoCapture has the potential to be used in other conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and organ transplantation. The partnership with Terumo BCT will help accelerate the development of NucleoCapture as a unique technology to treat various life-threatening and debilitating conditions.”