Dialysis treatment for patients with impaired kidney function has long been widely recognized and successfully used. A comparable standardized treatment method for patients with liver disease currently does not exist. The Munich-based MedTech company Hepa Wash is currently in the process of changing this and, thanks to years of research and development, is in the market launch phase of a new liver dialysis device with the potential to be expanded to include multi-organ support.
As early as the mid-1990s, Dr. Bernhard Kreymann developed Single Pass Albumin Dialysis (SPAD for short). The later founder of Hepa Wash was working as a physician in the intensive care unit at the Klinikum rechts der Isar (right-hand side of the Isar Hospital). Even then, it was clear that SPAD would not be a satisfactory long-term solution due to the high financial costs and the methodology involved.
Based on his knowledge of chemistry, which Kreymann had acquired during school and university, the liver specialist, while on vacation, began thinking about how to further develop SPAD or revolutionize the process to make it both more effective and more cost-effective. This thought quickly evolved into concrete research, and in 2005, Dr. Kreymann founded Hepa Wash, initially a one-man startup. The first research laboratory of Hepa Wash GmbH was located in Garching. The project is financed primarily by private investors and the KfW Banking Group.
The method
How does the new liver dialysis method work? Hepa Wash has developed a certified procedure designed to help patients with existing liver disease support their liver over a certain period of time, thus relieving the strain. This is especially important when an acute event, such as an infection, occurs.
With Hepa Wash® technology, the patient is connected to the LK2001 dialysis machine. The toxin-laden blood is passed through a selective membrane. A purification fluid (dialysate) enriched with human albumin flows on the other side of the membrane. This allows water-soluble and protein-bound toxins to migrate through the membrane into the purification fluid and be removed. Such a selective membrane is necessary to remove only toxins and retain the substances essential to the body in the blood.
The toxin-laden dialysate is then processed in a second circuit using pH and temperature changes so that the toxins can be separated and disposed of (Hepa Wash® circuit). The purified dialysate is then recirculated through the blood to remove further undesirable substances. This minimizes the amount of albumin required in the cleaning solution. This is an important difference from the SPAD process.
Liver dialysis prevents the spread of toxins in the body and thus potentially threatening multi-organ failure. This procedure required numerous tests over many years to optimize various system parameters such as flow rates, temperature, and the composition of the purification fluid.
Munich location supplies personnel
The proximity to the universities in Munich was and remains crucial for Hepa Wash. The company has always employed motivated and creative students who actively participate in research and development. It's a win-win situation: the students learn a tremendous amount through their participation, while the company benefits from relatively inexpensive labor, which has a real chance of permanent employment after graduation. A large portion of the now 30-person workforce consists of former students who were retained after graduation. Currently, between 20 and 30 students are involved in the project each semester.
Since 2008, the company has had its premises in Münchner Technologiezentrum (MTZ) and has been expanding steadily ever since. Over the years, additional production space and offices have been leased. The international team is also experiencing continuous growth.
Hepa Wash is currently collaborating with selected clinics and physicians in Germany to implement the procedure in clinical practice, further optimize it, and advance its market entry. At the same time, further research and development trials on multi-organ support are underway.
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