Morlaix (France), October 19, 2018 – EY has awarded the National Start-Up of the Year Prize to Hemarina and its CEO, Franck Zal, at the 26the national Entrepreneur of the Year Award ceremony at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on 18 October 2018. Hemarina has developed a major innovation in the field of transplantation: HEMO2life®, an additive to graft preservation solutions derived from the haemoglobin of a marine worm, the Arenicolus, which contributes to better graft preservation.
- A breath of fresh air for the transplant world
After 15 years of fundamental research in a public research laboratory, Franck Zal created Hemarina and developed a therapeutic oxygen carrier M101, derived from the extra-cellular haemoglobin of Arenicola marina, capable of storing 40 times more oxygen than human haemoglobin. The first application of M101 is HEMO2life®, an additive to graft preservation solutions. The preservation of grafts is currently limited to a few hours beyond which the grafts lose their metabolic functions and their intrinsic quality. This rapid degradation is one of the main causes of graft rejection. The addition of the HEMO2life® medical device to the preservation solutions allows a much better oxygenation of the grafts and, as demonstrated in a clinical trial carried out in France on the kidney in 2016-2018, a better recovery of the renal function.
The addition of the HEMO2life® medical device to the preservation solutions allows for a much better oxygenation of the grafts and, beyond its use on humans in kidney transplantation, this technology was recently used, in an exceptional way, during the second total face transplant on a patient performed by Professor Lantieri, Head of the Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) He says: “HEMO2life® is an innovation, a medical revolution and the future of transplantation. I will never do another transplant without this product. “
The marketing of this product is pending CE marking in 2019.
- A recognition for research and a promising future
This is a real recognition of the research work carried out by Franck Zal. In addition to organ and tissue transplantation, Hemarina is pursuing the development of its product pipeline through its dedicated technology platform, which exploits the properties of its naturally occurring therapeutic oxygen carrier, particularly in the fields of wound healing and emergency medicine.
The National Start-Up of the Year Award recognises the spirit of innovation and vision that Hemarina demonstrates. “Je suis ravi de recevoir ce prix, qui reconnaît ce que nous avons accompli au cours de nos 11 années d’existence. Je tiens à remercier nos actionnaires et, en particulier, nos employés, qui travaillent jour après jour pour développer des solutions innovantes répondant à des besoins médicaux non satisfaits et les introduire sur le marché. Hemarina reste fidèle à son objectif premier, qui est de “sauver des vies””. Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator (version gratuite) conclut Franck Zal.
About Hemarina
Hemarina is a company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Morlaix, Finistère, France. The company specialises 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 input for industrial bioproduction: HEMOXCell®/HEMBoost®
For more information, visit our website: www.hemarina.com
For further information. please contact:
Jenna Driff
Tél: 01 56 88 11 21
Mail: jdriff@actifin.fr
