Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT) and Santersus AG have announced an exclusive partnership to develop a novel therapeutic apheresis technology aimed at improving outcomes for patients with sepsis, a leading cause of death worldwide.

The collaboration combines Santersus’ NucleoCapture blood purification device with Terumo BCT’s Spectra Optia Apheresis System. NucleoCapture has received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on preclinical and early clinical data. The combined approach is designed to selectively remove neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) from the blood, which are linked to the progression of severe sepsis.

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune response to infection triggers widespread inflammation, potentially leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction. Each year, over 48 million people are affected globally, resulting in nearly 11 million deaths — more than 20 fatalities every minute. Current treatments focus on supportive care such as antimicrobials and intravenous fluids, leaving a significant unmet need for targeted therapies.

The procedure leverages therapeutic plasma exchange with a secondary plasma device (SPD). The Spectra Optia system separates plasma from blood, passes it through NucleoCapture to reduce NET levels, and recombines it with the patient’s blood in a single session. The therapy aims to improve survival, reduce the need for organ support, and shorten intensive care stays when applied early in the disease course.

Santersus will lead the pivotal NUC-CAP clinical study across the U.S., UK and EU, with Terumo BCT supporting the clinical development. Terumo Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Terumo Corporation, is also investing in Santersus’ Series A round to accelerate development.

Veerle d’Haenens, general manager of global therapy innovations at Terumo BCT, said: “Therapeutic apheresis has untapped potential to address unmet medical needs by selectively removing disease-related elements from a patient’s blood and returning the rest. In the U.S. alone, sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitals, and the risk of mortality rises by 4% to 9% for every hour treatment is delayed. Our partnership with Santersus reflects our mission to transform care for critically ill patients and offer hope where current treatments fall short.”

Scott Maguire, chairman of Santersus, said: “This partnership is a key milestone for NucleoCapture as we strive to bring this technology to patients globally. NETs are a major driver of inflammation in acute and chronic conditions, and NucleoCapture has the potential to be used in other conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and organ transplantation.”