Nuwellis, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUWE) announced that a single-center retrospective study has been accepted for publication in Frontiers in Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed journal, examining the use of epoprostenol as an alternative anticoagulant during Aquadex ultrafiltration therapy in critically ill pediatric patients.

The study, conducted at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, reviewed 46 children across 52 treatment courses between September 2022 and September 2025. Researchers found that filters lasted a median of approximately two days, platelet counts held steady or rose modestly, the need for vasoactive support did not increase, and no bleeding events were attributed to the drug.

The study represents the first documented use of epoprostenol as the sole anticoagulant for children undergoing Aquadex therapy in an intensive care unit setting. The authors characterized the findings as a feasibility report rather than proof of superiority over existing anticoagulation methods.

"For our sickest children, the usual ways of keeping these circuits open aren't always good options," said Dana Y. Fuhrman, DO, MS, the study's senior author. "This study suggests epoprostenol could give us another tool at the bedside, one that doesn't add to bleeding risk or require intensive metabolic monitoring."

Epoprostenol is a short-acting drug that prevents platelet clumping. Its short half-life means its effect dissipates quickly when therapy is stopped.

Nuwellis provided financial support to the study site to cover open-access publication costs but stated it provided no funding for the conduct of the research itself.

The Aquadex SmartFlow System is indicated for continuous ultrafiltration therapy in adult and pediatric patients weighing 20 kilograms or more whose fluid overload is unresponsive to medical management, including diuretics.