Mission

To treat and prevent human disease using lactoferrin.

History

Lactillion is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company commercializing the work of Dr. Marian Kruzel and his colleagues at SUNY Buffalo who isolated, cloned, and sequenced the gene for human lactoferrin. The patent portfolio was licensed to Lactillion for commercial development. In collaboration with scientisits at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, additional intellectual property was developed for clinical applications of lactoferrin. In 2005, a Phase II STTR grant of $1.1M with Dr. Jeffrey Actor was awarded to develop the use of lactoferrin as a vaccine adjuvant. Lactillion maintains a number of valuable collaborations for the expansion of clinical utilization of lactoferrin.

Focus

Lactillion is significantly advancing the treatment and prevention of sepsis. Sixty-eight percent of patients entering the intensive care units in hospitals have SIRS, systemic inflammatory response sydrome. As shown in the diagram below, SIRS can lead to sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. This can occur within hours or days, as the destabilized immune system kicks into high gear to fight infection. Unfortunately, breakdown of gut integrity (meaning the leaking of bacteria through the wall of the intestine) can lead to severe illness, including multiple organ failure and death. SIRS and its ensuing cascade are examples of oxidative stress-related disorders in which early intervention has the potential to prevent uncontrollable systemic inflammatory responses.

 

  

Why Recombinant Lactoferrin is Important

Lactillion is the leader in producing injectable recombinant lactoferrin. Lactillion and its development partners use advanced glycosylation technology and advanced bioreactor production systems to produce fully humanized lactoferrin. Lactillion is the only company that can produce normal human lactoferrin that can be given orally, through gastric feeding tubes, or through an intravenous injection.

Team Lactillion

Opportunity

Lactillion has targeted the prevention of SIRS from progressing to severe sepsis for the following reasons:

  • Large market: 3 million SIRS patients
  • Severe sepsis treatment costs are over $22K per patient and $17 billion annually in the U.S.
  • Intervention before organ dysfunction is critical to preventing death
  • Antibiotic therapies do not always prevent the progression
  • There are no therapies that directly treat sepsis at the early stages (antibiotics treat the infection but not the damaging immune response)
  • Oral administration of lactoferrin is possible during SIRS but injectable lactoferrin will be needed if the patient has progressed to severe sepsis or septic shock.

Lactillion will be able to not only significantly improve the quality of life for the millions of people throughout the world who currently suffer from some form of SIRS or sepsis, but it will also create significant value for its shareholders. The current market for a sepsis therapeutic is estimated in excess of $1 billion. In pursuing these goals, Lactillion will adhere to the highest standards of medical and professional integrity.