Morlaix, Brittany (France), March 23rd 2020 – Day 6 of confinement – Hemarina, a French biotech company, is ready to make its technology platform and its 5,000 doses of HEMO2life® product available to Health Authorities for combating the most acute syndromes of Covid-19. Professor Laurent Lantieri, Head of Plastic Surgery at Georges Pompidou’s Hospital (Paris), is urging authorities to allow the trial of Hemarina’s molecule which binds 40 times more oxygen than human hemoglobin.
Hemarina developed a universal oxygen carrier molecule from lugworms. This molecule (M101) is a good candidate for treating respiratory distress syndrome responsible for death in cases of Covid-19.
Treating Covid-19 patients who have respiratory distress with this strongly oxygenating molecule would make it possible to directly and significantly alleviate intensive care units where life-support ventilators are scarce. Furthermore, this simple to implement therapy does not increase burden for clinical teams.
This technology has been validated by dozens of scientific publications. It has been successfully tested in grafts oxygenation as well as in brain oxygenation. Clinical tests have been completed and are positive in China.
Hemarina has 5,000 doses already produced and available for the Health Authorities. Around 30,000 additional doses could be rapidly produced. This could mean a great number of lives saved. Urgent action is needed to save lives now !
« It is urgent to obtain administrative authorizations. We have clinically tested products we want to be able to move forward in order to fulfill hospital’s and doctor’s requests” says Dr Franck Zal, founder of Hemarina who confirms “The French President rightly declared that “We are at War”. Indeed, we are entering a Medical War. Front line doctors are all aware of the situation and, in this case, moderate risks with superior potential benefits should take precedence over an exaggerated precautionary principle which would only lead to an increased death count. In the end, either you treat the patient or you let him die. Our sole objective is that as many people as possible receive the existing treatments to reduce the death toll. »
Many hospital practitioners are asking to use this molecule urgently, of whom Professor Laurent Lantieri, Head of Reconstructive Surgery at Georges Pompidou’s European Hospital. He publicly urges the French Authorities to test the product as soon as possible in order to face the predictable peak of the epidemic.
The main threat of this illness is that it hinders oxygen delivery mechanisms within an infected patient’s organism : oxygen delivery is the very function of Hemarina’s molecule, thanks to the outstanding oxygenating properties of the lugworm.
About Hemarina
Hemarina is a company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Morlaix (France). The company specializes in the development of universal therapeutic oxygen carriers derived from marine invertebrates. Hemarina has a technical & commercial affiliate in Boston (Hemarina, Inc.) and a production subsidiary for its raw materials located on the island of Noirmoutier, as well as offices in Paris.
Hemarina is developing several products for medical and industrial applications, including:
An additive to organ preservation solutions: HEMO2life®
A therapeutic oxygen carrier: HEMOXYCarrier®
An oxygenating dressing: HEMHealing®
An oxygenating gel for dental applications: HEMDental-Care®
An additive to bone-filling materials: HEMDental-Regenerativ®
An input for industrial bioproduction: HEMOXCell®/HEMBoost®
For more information, visit our website: www.hemarina.com
Media Relations Contact:
Acorelis – Gilles Petitot – gilles.petitot@acorelis.com – Tel : 06 20 27 65 94
Hemarina – Nelly Rolland – Tel : 02 98 88 88 23 – Mail : nelly.rolland@hemarina.com
Medical and scientifical contact: Franck Zal – franck.zal@hemarina.com
