Circe Biomedical

Circe Biomedical was a biotechnology company based in Lexington, Massachusetts, that pioneered the development of bioartificial organs and therapeutic cell systems. The company's lead product, the HepatAssist Liver Support System, was an extracorporeal device that integrated viable porcine hepatocytes with biocompatible membranes to provide metabolic support for patients with acute liver failure. Circe also advanced PancreAssist, an implantable bioartificial pancreas designed to treat insulin-dependent diabetes using pancreatic islets. Despite reaching Phase 3 clinical trials, the HepatAssist system failed to demonstrate a statistically significant survival benefit, leading to the company's acquisition by ICN Pharmaceuticals (now Bausch Health) in 2002 for $26 million.