The Challenge
Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that can lead to dangerously low blood pressure and multiple organ failure. It is the leading cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs), claiming around 11 million lives globally each year. There are currently no treatments that can reverse organ damage caused by sepsis - only supportive care is available. First Nations people, particularly in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, experience sepsis rates up to four times higher than the national average.
Project Overview
Researchers at The Florey are developing a potential breakthrough therapy using mega-dose sodium ascorbate (a form of Vitamin C) to reverse sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction. Despite containing the equivalent of over 2,000 oranges in ascorbate, the infusion has a neutral pH, making it safe for hospital use. The therapy is designed to be low-cost, supporting rapid uptake in both developed and low-to-middle-income countries that bear the largest burden of sepsis.
Project Highlights
- Promising preclinical results: Early laboratory studies showed that high-dose sodium ascorbate could quickly restore brain function and alertness in models of sepsis, supporting further clinical testing.
- Real-life examples: Initial clinical trials in patients with sepsis showed the therapy was well-tolerated and had promising signals towards improving multiple organ function. Two septic patients facing imminent death showed signs of multi-organ recovery within hours of treatment and were later discharged from hospital.
- Nationwide clinical trials underway: Larger trials are testing effectiveness in critically ill patients with sepsis nationally, with plans to include high-risk Indigenous populations.
- Funding support: Research is also enabled by a $4.8 million Medical Research Future Fund Grant from the Australian Government.
Measuring Impact
Hearts & Minds measures its impact across six core categories as developed by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Key highlights include:
Advancing Knowledge
Research Capacity Building
- Leading partnerships: Partnering with leading intensive care clinician-academics across Australia, enabling a true bench-to-bedside research pipeline for patients with sepsis.
- World-leading expertise: The Florey’s interdisciplinary team brings expertise in neuro-cardiovascular and renal physiology, vascular biology, immunology, and proteomics. Efforts are coordinated across top Australian research institutions and public ICUs nationwide.
- Key clinical collaborators: A/Prof Mark Plummer (Royal Adelaide Hospital), Dr Laura Cook and Professor Antoine Roquilly (Peter Doherty Institute), A/Prof Neil Glassford (Monash Health), Dr Shu Wen (Monash University), Dr Alexander Wood (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital & University of Western Australia), Dr Samantha Emery (WEHI).
- Improved research access and equity: Expanding biobanking capabilities to include vulnerable communities in Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland, with up to 30% Indigenous participation anticipated.
Health Impacts
- Addressing disparities: Indigenous Australians experience significantly higher sepsis rates, with 70% readmitted within a year and one in five experiencing secondary sepsis.
- Public health action: These findings highlight the need for targeted initiatives and cross-disciplinary research to reduce sepsis and improve long-term outcomes.
Economic Impacts
- Healthcare savings: In Australia, sepsis costs an estimated $4.8 billion annually, including $700 million in direct hospital expenses. This project aims to reduce these costs.
Informing decisions
- Cost-effective treatment: This project demonstrates the potential of a novel, low-cost drug treatment for sepsis that could transform clinical guidelines globally, reducing the burden of a condition responsible for 20% of deaths worldwide.
The Florey’s research represents a major step toward a safe, low-cost therapy for sepsis that could save lives, improve recovery for critically ill patients with sepsis, and reduce health disparities. Ongoing trials and collaboration with hospitals and Indigenous communities will be key to bringing this potential treatment from the lab to patients nationwide.
Funding support from Hearts and Minds Investments, as nominated by Core Fund Manager, Caledonia.
This content was last updated in August 2025, for further information and updates, visit The Florey.
