AREVA Institute and SeaStar Medical Announce DoD Award of Prestigious Military Grant to AREVA Institute to Evaluate SeaStar Medical’s SCD Therapy to Advance Breakthrough Burn and Sepsis Research

Rhea-AI Summary

SeaStar Medical (Nasdaq: ICU) and AREVA Research Institute announced a significant Department of Defense (DoD) grant award to study SeaStar's Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) therapy. The $2 million grant, selected from 160 submissions to the Military Burn Research Program, will fund a three-year study starting July 2025 to evaluate SCD therapy's effectiveness in reducing hyperinflammation in cases of severe burns, inhalation injury, and sepsis. The SCD therapy, used alongside continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), aims to neutralize hyperinflammation and support organ recovery. The research will be conducted at AREVA Institute in San Antonio, with operational support from The Geneva Foundation, potentially advancing treatment options for both military and civilian trauma patients.

Positive

• Selected as one of only four recipients out of 160 submissions for the prestigious DoD grant
• Secured $2 million in DoD funding for a three-year research study
• Partnership with AREVA Institute, one of few 24/7 intensive care unit laboratories globally
• Potential expansion of SCD therapy applications beyond the initial study scope

Negative

• None.

Insights

Medical Research & Development Expert

DoD's $2M grant to evaluate SeaStar's SCD therapy for burns and sepsis signals important validation, but remains early-stage research with uncertain commercial timeline.

SeaStar Medical has secured a significant validation milestone with the Department of Defense selecting its Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) therapy for evaluation in a prestigious military research program. The $2 million grant awarded to the AREVA Research Institute positions SeaStar's technology at the forefront of extracorporeal immunomodulation research for severe burns, inhalation injuries, and sepsis - conditions with substantial unmet medical needs.

The grant's competitive nature - selected as one of just four out of 160 submissions to the Military Burn Research Program - represents a meaningful third-party endorsement of SeaStar's technology platform. This validation is particularly valuable for smaller medical technology companies seeking to establish credibility in the specialized critical care market.

The SCD therapy addresses hyperinflammation - a common, life-threatening complication in trauma patients. By working alongside continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), the technology aims to reduce inflammation that contributes to multi-organ failure, potentially reducing dialysis dependency and improving survival rates. The military application creates a pathway for proving efficacy in extreme trauma scenarios, which could later translate to broader civilian applications.

However, investors should recognize this represents early-stage clinical research rather than imminent commercialization. The three-year study timeline beginning July 2025 indicates that any meaningful revenue impact remains distant. While the grant covers procurement of SCD devices for the study, it doesn't guarantee subsequent procurement contracts or regulatory advancement.

The collaboration with AREVA's specialized ICU laboratory environment provides access to rare research capabilities, potentially accelerating development. The exploratory discussions about expanding applications beyond the initial study scope suggests the potential for additional research programs if initial results prove promising.

$2 million in DoD funding enables the evaluation of SeaStar Medical’s SCD therapy in the setting of severe burns, inhalation injury, and sepsis

SAN ANTONIO, Texas and DENVER, Colorado, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Autonomous Reanimation and Evacuation (AREVA) Research Institute and SeaStar Medical (Nasdaq: ICU) announced today that a new United States Department of Defense (DoD) grant has been awarded to AREVA. The grant is one of four selected out of 160 total submissions by the 2024 Military Burn Research Program (MBRP) and represents cutting-edge research for extracorporeal immunomodulation to reduce inflammation after severe burns, inhalation injury, and septicemia.

The grant supports a three-year research study that is scheduled to begin in July 2025 with more than $2 million in DoD funding. The study will explore the application of SeaStar Medical’s Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) therapy to reduce hyperinflammation in warfighters after severe burns, inhalation injury, and infection. The award represents a significant step towards the advancement of extracorporeal immunomodulation through the use of the SCD therapy, an innovative therapeutic device designed to neutralize destructive hyperinflammation, to improve survival in both combat casualties and civilian patients suffering from severe trauma and infection. Used alongside continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), the SCD therapy is designed to support organ recovery and may reduce the need for dialysis in patients with severe acute inflammatory conditions.

“In my 25-year research career, this particular award and collaboration with SeaStar Medical has the potential to be one of the most impactful,” said Andriy Batchinsky, MD, Principal Investigator and Founder of AREVA. “It may save the lives of large numbers of patients with infection- and trauma-related lung, kidney, and multi-organ failure.”

The Geneva Foundation will provide research administration and operational support to ensure the success of the program at the AREVA Institute in San Antonio, Texas, helping accelerate innovation in military medicine. The grant will cover the purchase of the SCD therapy from SeaStar Medical for use by AREVA in the research study. SeaStar Medical and AREVA are also exploring expanded applications of SeaStar’s technology beyond the initial study.

Kevin Chung, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SeaStar Medical, stated, “The AREVA Institute is one of only a handful of around the clock intensive care unit laboratories in the world capable of delivering this type of work. This DoD award represents a major vote of confidence not only for the AREVA Institute but also the potential of the SCD therapy to play a major role in the care of critically wounded service members. This study will evaluate the ability of the SCD therapy to optimize functional recovery after these types of injuries.”

About the SeaStar Medical Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) Therapy

The Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) therapy is designed as a disease-modifying device that neutralizes over-active immune cells and stops the cytokine storm that yields destructive hyperinflammation and creates a cascade of events that wreak havoc in the patient’s body. The SCD therapy has broad applications in multiple acute and chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases, representing patients who today have no FDA-approved options for treating their disease. Unlike pathogen removal and other blood-purification tools, the SCD therapy is integrated with an existing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) hemofiltration system to selectively target and transition proinflammatory monocytes to a reparative state and promote activated neutrophils to be less inflammatory. This unique immunomodulation approach may promote long-term organ recovery, eliminate the need for future RRT, including dialysis, and prevent loss of life.  

About SeaStar Medical

SeaStar Medical is a commercial-stage healthcare company focused on transforming the standard of care for critically ill patients at risk of organ failure and death. Its first commercial product, QUELIMMUNE (SCD-PED), received FDA approval in 2024 and is the only approved therapy for pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) due to sepsis. The company’s SCD therapy has earned six Breakthrough Device Designations from the FDA and is currently in pivotal trials for adult AKI patients requiring CRRT. Learn more at www.seastarmedical.com or follow SeaStar Medical on LinkedIn and X.

About The Geneva Foundation

The Geneva Foundation advances operationally relevant, military-unique research aligned with DoD requirements to ensure mission success. Geneva accelerates military medical R&D to deliver deployable solutions that enhance the health, readiness, and capabilities of service members and the communities they serve. With deep expertise in research operations, government contracting, strategic collaborations, and commercialization, Geneva ensures successful research outcomes and remains a committed strategic partner in advancing military medicine. Learn more: The Geneva Foundation.

SeaStar Medical Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1955. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, SeaStar Medical’s expectations with respect to the ability of SCD to save the lives of large numbers of patients with infection- and trauma-related lung, kidney, and multi-organ failure; promote optimal recovery; and reduce the need for dialysis in patients with severe acute inflammatory conditions; Words such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside SeaStar Medical’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause actual future events to differ materially from the expected results include, but are not limited to: (i) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to obtain regulatory approval of its SCD product candidates; (ii) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to raise sufficient capital to fund its operations, including current or future clinical trials; (iii) the risk that SeaStar Medical and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize its products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so, including failure to achieve approval of its products by applicable federal and state regulators, (iv) the risk that SeaStar Medical may never achieve or sustain profitability; (v) the risk that SeaStar Medical may not be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms; (vi) the risk that third-party suppliers and manufacturers are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations, (vii) the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to SeaStar Medical’s products and services, (viii) the risk that SeaStar Medical is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property, and (ix) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in SeaStar Medical’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those under the “Risk Factors” section therein and in SeaStar Medical’s other filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and SeaStar Medical assumes no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 

Contact:
SeaStar Investor Relations:
IR@SeaStarMed.com

FAQ

What is the value and duration of the DoD grant awarded to study SeaStar Medical's (ICU) SCD therapy?

The Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant for a three-year research study starting in July 2025.

What is the purpose of SeaStar Medical's (ICU) SCD therapy in the DoD-funded study?

The SCD therapy aims to reduce hyperinflammation in warfighters after severe burns, inhalation injury, and infection, potentially improving survival rates in both combat casualties and civilian patients.

How many submissions competed for the 2024 Military Burn Research Program grant won by AREVA to study SeaStar Medical's therapy?

The grant was one of four selected out of 160 total submissions to the 2024 Military Burn Research Program.

Where will the DoD-funded research on SeaStar Medical's (ICU) SCD therapy be conducted?

The research will be conducted at the AREVA Institute in San Antonio, Texas, with operational support from The Geneva Foundation.

How does SeaStar Medical's (ICU) SCD therapy work with existing treatments?

The SCD therapy is used alongside continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to neutralize destructive hyperinflammation and support organ recovery, potentially reducing the need for dialysis in patients with severe acute inflammatory conditions.