VolitionRx Limited (NYSE American: VNRX), a multinational epigenetics company, announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in Critical Care Medicine demonstrating that its Nu.Q NETs H3.1 biomarker is an independent predictor of 28-day mortality and the need for renal replacement therapy in patients with sepsis and septic shock. The findings, which also showed significantly higher biomarker levels in septic shock patients compared to those with sepsis alone, suggest a dose-response relationship with acute kidney injury severity, indicating the test's potential for risk stratification and early intervention.
The study's publication was accompanied by an independent editorial examining H3.1 nucleosomes as a potential marker of NET-mediated organ injury, underscoring the scientific community's interest in this mechanism. Sepsis remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and early identification of high-risk patients is critical for improving outcomes. The Nu.Q NETs test, which quantifies nucleosomes released during NETosis—a process implicated in sepsis and other inflammatory conditions—could provide clinicians with a valuable tool to anticipate disease progression, guide treatment decisions, and monitor patients over time.
VolitionRx highlighted that these findings support ongoing commercial and licensing discussions for Nu.Q NETs, which the company believes could address a total addressable market of $2.8 billion. The company's technology is designed to detect diseases associated with NETosis, and this latest evidence adds to previously published data supporting its clinical utility. Dr. Andrew Retter, Medical Consultant at Volition, commented, "Introducing Nu.Q NETs into hospitals, as a treatable, trackable trait, could lead to new ways of treating sepsis, improve patient survival and the quality of life of survivors."
The implications of this study are significant. If validated further, Nu.Q NETs could become a standard diagnostic tool in intensive care units, enabling personalized treatment strategies and potentially reducing mortality rates. The test's ability to predict acute kidney injury severity is particularly noteworthy, as renal complications are common in sepsis and associated with poor outcomes. By identifying patients at higher risk early, clinicians could implement more aggressive monitoring and therapeutic interventions, potentially preventing organ failure and improving long-term outcomes.
VolitionRx is a multi-national company focused on advancing epigenetics, with a mission to save lives and improve outcomes for people and animals with life-altering diseases through earlier detection and monitoring. The company's research and development activities are centered in Belgium, with additional operations in the U.S. and London. For more information, visit the company's website at https://volition.com/.
The full press release can be viewed at https://ibn.fm/RErhc. This development is a crucial step forward in the fight against sepsis, offering hope for improved patient management and outcomes.
