Every year, about 1.5 million people worldwide die from blood loss. The problem is especially acute when the loss is caused by trauma, which has no elegant solutions—you apply pressure and hope it stops. But Brooklyn-based Cresilon has developed a novel way to stanch bleeding: Cresilon Hemostatic Gel (CHG®).

CHG’s hummus-textured, algae- and fungi-based polymer gel comes in 5 ml syringes for use to help blood clot in external wounds without the need to apply pressure. In summer 2023, CHG gained FDA clearance, granting approval for human use for the first time (a veterinary counterpart, VETIGEL®, has been used in more than 10,000 vet clinics since 2020). Beyond providing a new tool for clinicians to stop minor bleeding, CHG is also being investigated by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research for applications in stabilizing traumatic brain injuries.

Cresilon also expanded global distribution of VETIGEL®, which is now being used by licensed veterinarians across the U.S., Europe, and Asia to treat pets during surgical procedures and save animal lives in emergency situations. VETIGEL® has been used in more than 45,000 surgical procedures worldwide.