Viromed Medical AG, a medical technology company specializing in cold plasma technology, has announced the successful completion of a multi-year study on the application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in the lung. The study, which focused on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) – a critical challenge in intensive care medicine – confirmed the potential of cold plasma as a physical, non-pharmacological treatment for severe infectious lung diseases. The data demonstrate a clearly defined therapeutic safety window and a complete reduction of pathogenic germs in lung epithelial models.
An important component of the research was the ex vivo validation on vital lungs conducted in collaboration with Saarland University and Hannover Medical School. The isolated, ventilation- and perfusion-capable lung model used in the study realistically reflects key physiological characteristics of the human lung, enabling reproducible investigations on vital organ tissue. The study data will now be submitted for publication in a renowned scientific journal.
Uwe Perbandt, Member of the Management Board of Viromed Medical AG, stated: “By successfully completing this study, we have reached a point of outstanding importance for Viromed and for modern pneumology. The data confirm the potential of our cold plasma technology in one of the most sensitive organ systems of the human body. It is particularly encouraging that we are no longer speaking only about preclinical evidence, but are already seeing first successful applications in patients in a university clinical setting.”
Based on the study results, Viromed’s technology has already been used in a university setting in a severe pulmonary individual case in a human patient. Following approval by the responsible ethics committee, a university hospital with a department specializing in lung and transplantation medicine treated a patient in connection with a lung transplant and massive complications. The use of cold plasma was very successful, and according to the assessing physicians, the observed positive clinical course was exceptional. The hospital plans to publish the case in the near term, and further severely ill patients with a high risk of fatal outcome are undergoing treatment.
The implications of this announcement are significant for the field of pneumology and intensive care medicine. While classical pharmacological therapies are increasingly limited by the development of resistance, cold plasma as a physical mode of action opens up a new therapeutic dimension. Viromed sees clear indications that cold plasma technology will fundamentally change pneumology, potentially preventing severe pulmonary infections. Looking ahead, further applications of cold plasma technology in intensive care medicine are moving into clinical research use, such as intracardiac use in operations for bacterial endocarditis before implantation of a valve prosthesis, or application in the thorax in cases of bacterial pleural empyema.
For the industry, this development could represent a paradigm shift in treating infectious diseases, offering a non-pharmacological alternative that does not contribute to antimicrobial resistance. For patients, particularly those in intensive care units suffering from VAP, this technology could provide a life-saving treatment option. Viromed Medical AG, which has been listed on the stock exchange since October 2022 and operates through its wholly owned subsidiary Viromed Medical GmbH, aims to further advance the use of cold plasma technology in medicine and realize growth potential. More information is available at www.viromed-medical-ag.de.
