SCAVENGING ON SEPSIS. DEVELOPMENT OF SEPSIS SPECIFIC DRUGS FROM HUMAN SCAVENGER RECEPTORS

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Sepsis is a major a life-threatening condition caused by bacterial or fungal infections leading to cardiovascular collapse (septic shock), multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and death, and claims more lives that bowel and breast cancer combined. The human Scavenger-receptors are naturally occurring proteins on some blood cells that interact and neutralize core structural components of microbes, providing a novel therapeutic strategy for wide-spectrum sepsis treatment and an alternative to current antibiotic and adjunctive therapeutic approaches of limited success. Sepsia Therapeutics is a R&D start up company developing SIXTIDE, a peptide-drug based on human scavenger lymphocyte receptor CD6, with dual bactericidal and anti-inflammatory action, which protects mice from death in experimental sepsis, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. SIXTIDE mode of action inhibits bacterial growth and blocks the pro-inflammatory properties of bacterial toxins. Sepsia Therapeutics holds IPR on the use of CD6 and CD6 derivatives in the treatment of infection and inflammation disorders and aims for market entry through injectable SIXTIDE.