Hepa Wash develops a liver dialysis system which is to some extent comparable to kidney dialysis systems. However, while kidney dialysis removes only water-soluble toxins, Hepa Wash simulates the liver function by also removing protein-bound toxins from the patient’s blood. To remove protein-bound toxic substances, the same protein (albumin) which binds the toxins naturally in the blood is added to the dialysate. Therefore, toxins in the patient blood dissociate from blood albumin, cross the filter membrane and bind to the albumin in the dialysate. However, as albumin is very expensive, Hepa Wash has invented a very simple and cost-efficient procedure based on pH and temperature changes through which the albumin can be regenerated. The “recycled” albumin can therefore be continuously re-used in one treatment session to eliminate toxins from the blood. Due to the technical approach described above and additional inventions, the treatment is expected to be several times more effective than currently available therapies. The proof of concept has been recently demonstrated in a preclinical study with animals with acute liver failure.
In Germany there are 300-500 patients with acute liver failure (ALF) per year of which about one third is transplanted, one third dies and one third survives without transplantation. In contrast, about 30,000 patients are dying each year due to AoC liver failure. The main cause of death in most of these patients is not the liver failure itself but concomitant diseases like infection and gastrointestinal bleedings that cannot be stopped. At present, there is no effective direct treatment for life-threatening liver disease. The Hepa Wash® system will be used for patients with AoC or patients with ALF until they recover or for patients on the liver transplantation list to bridge them to transplantation (see table below), thereby significantly improving the survival and the quality of life of these patients.
Main patient groups that may benefit from treatment with Hepa Wash