CytoSorbents Completes U.S. and Canadian STAR-T Pivotal Trial

Readout of topline results expected before year-end on FDA Breakthrough Device, DrugSorb-ATR.  Sets stage for potential regulatory submission to FDA and Health Canada as the first reversal agent for the blood thinner, Brilinta^®

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CytoSorbents Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSO), a leader in the treatment of life-threatening conditions in intensive care and cardiac surgery using blood purification via its proprietary polymer adsorption technology, announced that it has completed the pivotal STAR-T (Safe and Timely Antithrombotic Removal – Ticagrelor) randomized, controlled trial, following the last scheduled patient follow-up.  The STAR-T trial is evaluating the ability of DrugSorb®-ATR to reduce perioperative bleeding due to the widely-used blood thinner, ticagrelor (Brilinta®, AstraZeneca) in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery.

Dr. Efthymios N. Deliargyris, Chief Medical Officer of CytoSorbents stated, "We are very pleased to complete all patient related procedures in the STAR-T trial without a single study subject lost to follow-up.  This is another critical step of the process delivered on time and with 100% success.  We are focused on ensuring complete and high-quality study data collection, ultimately leading to database lock and triggering the statistical analyses that will provide the readouts of the trial.  We continue to expect topline results by the end of the year." 

Brilinta® is one of the leading "blood thinners" used as part of dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients suspected of having a heart attack.  However, in the up to 10% of patients that are not eligible for a cardiac stent and now require coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, Brilinta confers a risk of major fatal or life-threatening CABG-related bleeding as high as 50-65%, particularly if the surgery is performed within the first five days of receiving the drug.  Waiting in the hospital to wash out the drug is the only acceptable alternative, but comes at high cost and potential clinical risk. The goal of using DrugSorb-ATR is to allow patients to get the critical surgery they need without delay, while reducing or preventing this bleeding risk by actively removing the drug from blood during the surgery when installed in the heart-lung machine.  DrugSorb-ATR has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for this indication. The STAR-T pivotal study was conducted by many leading cardiothoracic surgery centers in North America and is intended to support U.S. FDA and Health Canada marketing approval for DrugSorb-ATR in this application. 

About CytoSorbents Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSO)

CytoSorbents Corporation is a leader in the treatment of life-threatening conditions in the intensive care unit and in cardiac surgery through blood purification.  Its flagship product, CytoSorb®, is approved in the European Union, distributed in 75 countries worldwide, and has accumulated more than 212,000 human treatments to date, to reduce "cytokine storm" and other toxins that can cause organ failure.  The DrugSorb™-ATR antithrombotic removal system, based on the same polymer technology as CytoSorb, has received two U.S. FDA Breakthrough Device Designations to remove two separate blood thinners during cardiothoracic surgery, including ticagrelor and the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) apixaban and rivaroxaban,  and is undergoing pivotal clinical studies.  For more information, please visit the Company's websites at www.cytosorbents.com and www.cytosorb.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, future targets and outlooks for our business, statements about potential exposures resulting from our cash positions, representations and contentions, and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as "may," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements in this press release represent management's current judgment and expectations, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2023, as updated by the risks reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in the press releases and other communications to shareholders issued by us from time to time which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors which may affect our business. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required under the Federal securities laws.

CytoSorbents Contact: 
Kathleen Bloch
(732) 398-5429
[email protected]

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SOURCE CytoSorbents Corporation