SeaStar Medical to Showcase New Mechanistic Data Highlighting the Immunomodulatory Effect of the Selective Cytopheretic Device in Acute Kidney Injury at ASN Kidney Week

DENVER, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SeaStar Medical Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: ICU), a commercial-stage medical device company developing proprietary solutions to reduce the consequences of hyperinflammation on vital organs, announces the presentation of new analyses of clinical data further supporting the immunomodulating effect of the Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) 2024 Kidney Week to be held October 24-27 in San Diego. Abstracts for the meeting are available here.

“We are excited to showcase these analyses at the world’s premier nephrology meeting that further describe how the SCD significantly lowered biomarkers related to inflammation in this critically ill population of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT),” said Sai Prasad N. Iyer, PhD, SeaStar Medical Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Research. “These data further explain mechanistically how the SCD is addressing hyperinflammation and helps restore immune balance in these critically ill patients.”

In a poster presentation, titled Immunomodulatory Effect of Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) on Neutrophil: Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Hematologic Parameters from Multiple Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Trials, the authors explain that NLR is a powerful biomarker with elevated levels linked to poor outcomes across a wide range of diseases. An analysis of multiple AKI clinical studies showed that SCD treatment significantly reduced NLR, providing further mechanistic clinical evidence of leukocyte immunomodulation in hyperinflammatory conditions such as AKI and sepsis with potential applicability to other diseases.

“NLRs are easy to calculate and can be done using a patient’s complete blood count without need for any additional tests,” said Kevin Chung, MD, SeaStar Medical Chief Medical Officer. “This is one of several abstracts featuring the SCD that will be presented at ASN 2024 Kidney Week. We plan to have a significant presence at the meeting.”

The Company’s pediatric SCD was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Humanitarian Use Device (HDE) in February of this year, and the Company continues to enroll patients with its adult NEUTRALIZE-AKI pivotal trial, as well as advance other indications like cardiorenal syndrome.

ASN Kidney Week

ASN Kidney Week is the world’s premier nephrology meeting with more than 12,000 kidney professionals from across the globe expected to attend the 2024 event. ASN Kidney Week provides participants exciting and challenging opportunities to exchange knowledge, learn the latest scientific and medical advances, and listen to engaging and provocative discussions with leading experts in the field.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Hyperinflammation

AKI is characterized by a sudden and temporary loss of kidney function and can be caused by a variety of conditions such as COVID-19, sepsis, severe trauma and surgery. AKI can cause hyperinflammation, which is the overproduction or overactivity of inflammatory effector cells and other molecules that can be toxic. Damage resulting from hyperinflammation in AKI can progress to other organs, such as the heart or liver, and potentially to multi-organ dysfunction or even failure that could result in worse outcomes, including increased risk of death. Even after resolution, these patients may face chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, among other complications. Hyperinflammation may also contribute to added healthcare costs, such as prolonged ICU stays and increased reliance on dialysis and mechanical ventilation.

Selective Cytopheretic Device

The Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) is a patented cell-directed extracorporeal device that employs immunomodulating technology to selectively target proinflammatory neutrophils and monocytes during CKRT and reduces the hyperinflammatory milieu including the cytokine storm. Unlike pathogen removal and other blood-purification tools, the SCD is integrated with CKRT hemofiltration systems to selectively target and transition proinflammatory monocytes to a reparative state and promote activated neutrophils to be less inflammatory. This unique immunomodulation approach may promote long-term organ recovery and eliminate the need for future KRT, including dialysis.

The SCD-Pediatric device, QUELIMMUNE^™, is being commercialized following FDA approval for children with AKI and sepsis or septic condition weighing 10 kilograms or more who are being treated in the ICU with KRT. QUELIMMUNE was approved in February 2024 under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) application, having met the applicable criteria with clinical results showing safety and probable clinical benefit in a limited population of critically ill children with AKI who have few treatment options.

About SeaStar Medical

SeaStar Medical is a commercial-stage medical technology company that is redefining how extracorporeal therapies may reduce the consequences of excessive inflammation on vital organs. SeaStar Medical’s novel technologies rely on science and innovation to provide life-saving solutions to critically ill patients. The Company is developing and commercializing cell-directed extracorporeal therapies that target the effector cells that drive systemic inflammation, causing direct tissue damage and secreting a range of pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and propagate imbalanced immune responses. For more information visit www.seastarmedical.com or visit us on LinkedIn or X.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1955. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, SeaStar Medical’s expectations with respect to the amount and timing of future QUELIMMUNE commercial sales; commercial acceptance of QUELIMMUNE; the ability of SCD to treat patients with AKI and other diseases; the expected regulatory approval process and timeline for commercialization; and the ability of SeaStar Medical to meet the expected timeline. Words such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside SeaStar Medical’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause actual future events to differ materially from the expected results include, but are not limited to: (i) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to obtain regulatory approval of its SCD product candidates; (ii) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to raise sufficient capital to fund its operations, including current or future clinical trials; (iii) the risk that SeaStar Medical and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize its products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so, including failure to achieve approval of its products by applicable federal and state regulators, (iv) the risk that SeaStar Medical may never achieve or sustain profitability; (v) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to access funding under existing agreements; (vi) the risk that third-parties suppliers and manufacturers are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations, (vii) the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to SeaStar Medical’s products and services, (viii) the risk that SeaStar Medical is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property, and (ix) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in SeaStar Medical’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those under the “Risk Factors” section therein and in SeaStar Medical’s other filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and SeaStar Medical assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact: 

LHA Investor Relations 
Jody Cain 
(310) 691-7100 
Jcain@lhai.com 

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