History

In the last years of his life, Lars Heslet was severely affected by a paraneoplastic neurological disorder. This led to his old friend and colleague, Professor Lars Otto Uttenthal, being involved in the company. They had worked together on the development of the new NGAL diagnostic test for acute kidney injury, a test of utmost importance for intensive care patients, and Prof Uttenthal had also been involved in Heslet’s inhalation treatments. Uttenthal is a former researcher at the universities of Oxford, London and Madrid and was professor of biochemistry at the University of Salamanca. He has many years of experience in clinical medicine and biomedical research and also has extensive experience in research and development in the medical industry, including the conception, treatment and defense of new patents. Uttenthal’s task was to find ways and means to put Heslet’s outlined ideas into practice, while securing their patent protection and getting the necessary clinical trials done. He thus worked together with Lars Heslet in his last year and after his death took over the role of scientific and clinical director of the company. 

The company’s need for proof-of-concept trials of its new treatment ideas thus led to important contacts with clinicians eager to test these ideas. The first of these contacts was with Professor Jacob Rosenberg, head of the Center for Perioperative Optimization at the Surgical Department, Herlev Hospital. It was his enthusiasm and organization that ensured the successful proof-of-concept studies of this revolutionary method of treating peritonitis. It also led to the company’s contact with his younger colleague at the time, now Professor Ismail Gögenur, head of the Center for Surgical Science at the hospital of Køge. Professor Gögenur is an internationally recognized abdominal surgeon and remains the company’s primary clinical partner.