Hepatican

Hepatican is a UK-based biotechnology and medical device company spun out of University College London (UCL) that is developing a novel bioartificial liver device to treat patients with acute liver failure (ALF). The company's flagship product, HepatiCan, is a combined Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) and medical device that functions as an extracorporeal liver support system. It utilizes a cryopreservable, single-use biocartridge containing approximately 70 billion human liver cells (spheroids) to temporarily perform essential liver functions, buying time for the patient's own liver to regenerate or until a transplant becomes available. HepatiCan has received Orphan Drug Designation from both the EMA and FDA, and the company is currently preparing for first-in-human clinical trials.