Acute Liver Failure (ALF) is a life-threatening illness with a high mortality rate of up to 50-75%. It can occur rapidly, with liver failure developing within days to weeks after the onset of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, confusion, and jaundice. ALF can cause brain herniation due to raised intracranial pressure or sepsis with multi-organ failure, making it a serious and urgent condition.
ACLF occurs when patients with pre-existing Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) experience sudden and severe liver deterioration, often triggered by infections, alcohol use, or other insults. About 15% of CLD patients develop ACLF, and the one-year mortality rate is 40–50%. The condition is marked by multi-organ failure, cerebral edema, acute kidney injury, and low blood pressure.
There can be various factors that contribute to the development of these liver failures, including drug toxicity, hepatitis infections, poison consumption, and other conditions. The most common cause is drug toxicity, which accounts for 70-80% of cases. Unknown causes are responsible for 5-10% of cases, while hepatitis infections account for 5% and poison consumption and other conditions are less frequent, accounting for less than 5% of cases.
The only available treatment for ALF and ACLF is liver transplant surgery, but the availability of organs is limited. In India alone, more than 75,000 livers are needed every year, and thousands of lives are lost due to the unavailability of organs, with only a fraction of the required organs available through donation and cadaver transplants.
Liver transplantation surgery is an expensive and complex procedure that requires organ transplant surgeries for both the donor and recipient, as well as prolonged hospitalisation and pre-and post-treatment. The cost of liver transplant surgery can range from INR 4-5 million, limiting it as an option often only available to the wealthy.
The EBDLR v2.0 built by Ykrita Lifesciences, offers an alternative to costly and complex liver transplant surgery for the critical condition of ALF.
Acute Liver Failure (ALF) is a critical condition with a high mortality rate that often leaves patients with limited options. Ykrita Lifesciences, a start-up incubated within the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, takes pride in presenting the Extracorporeal Bioengineered Dual-Cell Liver Regeneration System (EBDLR v2.0). This breakthrough innovation provides an alternative to costly and complex liver transplant surgery.
Our EBDLR v2.0 is not only a state-of-the-art device that features clinically compatible, automated monitoring and maintenance of various physical parameters of the device's operation and functionality, but it is also designed with patient safety as the top priority. The device is specifically built to supplement the liver and enable it to regenerate itself with the support of the device. With a potential market size of $613B in the global medical device market, the EBDLR v2.0 is poised to disrupt the industry by providing an affordable and safe alternative to liver transplant surgery.
The Extracorporeal Bioengineered Dual-Cell Liver Regeneration System (EBDLR v2.0) developed by Ykrita Lifesciences has showcased outstanding efficacy in pre-clinical studies. These studies have demonstrated that the EBDLR System effectively supports the liver, preventing patients from mortality and opening up new avenues for treating ALF. The device has rescued large subjects with drug-induced and surgical models of acute liver failure, marking a significant breakthrough in medical technology.
The EBDLR System has also received significant recognition for its innovative approach, with three patents filed in India, the PCT, and the USPTO. These patents signify the unique and promising nature of the device and its potential impact on the medical industry.
The device's compatibility with clinical settings is further enhanced by its automated monitoring and maintenance of various physical parameters of its operation and functionality, making it an effective and reliable solution for ALF patients.
Ykrita Lifesciences, an innovative Indian medical device startup, is dedicated to revolutionizing healthcare with accessible, life-saving treatments. Our innovative EBDLR System offers a liver transplant alternative, purifying blood and enabling native liver regeneration in acute liver failure patients. This cost-effective, patient-friendly solution is set to transform liver disease treatment and impact healthcare delivery globally.