Sepsis, a toxic, inflammatory response to infection, afflicts
20–30 million patients globally each year, according to the
Global Sepsis Alliance. It is estimated that worldwide one
person dies from sepsis every few seconds. In the U.S., another
organization, the Sepsis Alliance, reports that approximately
258,000 Americans are diagnosed with sepsis yearly and that
hospitals spend about $20 billion annually fighting the disease.
About 40% of Americans diagnosed with severe sepsis die. Severe
sepsis leads to organ dysfunction, elevated liver enzymes, and
altered cerebral function. Intensive care is usually the
standard treatment for almost all sepsis victims. While sepsis
usually results from disease or injury, many patients become
septic following routine or elective surgery. Because it is such
a complex disorder, it has been extremely difficult to find
effective treatments for sepsis. In the early 1990s, a high-
flying biotech company, Centocor, developed what many thought
would be THE standard therapy for sep