Viva In Vitro, a Spanish company specialized in the research and development of biotechnological solutions and services in the field of immunological medicine, announces the appointment of Dr. Ricard Ferrer Roca as an external advisor to its Medical Advisory Board (MAB). This strategic move reinforces the company’s commitment to bringing its research, products, and services into clinical practice, with the NLRP3 inflammasome biomarker as a key pillar of personalized medicine in the fight against sepsis.
Viva In Vitro is currently conducting advanced research on biomarkers as tools to reduce sepsis mortality—a condition that affects over 49 million people globally each year and causes more than 13.7 million deaths. The company’s goal is to provide accurate and early prognosis and patient stratification tools, which are essential for enabling personalized medical interventions that improve outcomes.
Dr. Ferrer is one of the world’s leading authorities in intensive care and sepsis. He currently heads the Intensive Care Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona) and leads the SODIR research group (Shock, Organ Dysfunction and Resuscitation) at the hospital’s research institute. His academic roles include associate professorship at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and he has held prominent positions in international scientific societies such as SEMICYUC, ESICM, and the World Federation of Societies of Intensive Care. He is also a trustee of the Sepsis Code Foundation and a steering committee member of the “Surviving Sepsis Campaign.”
As part of this non-permanent external collaboration, Dr. Ferrer will provide strategic, technical, and scientific advice to Viva In Vitro. His responsibilities will include reviewing and evaluating R&D projects, contributing to the design of clinical protocols, supporting study planning, collaborating in medical training activities, and actively participating in scientific dissemination and the company’s reputation building.
“Having Dr. Ricard Ferrer as external advisor on our Medical Advisory Board represents top-tier clinical support for Viva In Vitro’s biomedical validation and development strategy,” says Toni Vilaplana, Managing Director. “His vision and experience in intensive care and sepsis will be essential to ensuring our diagnostic solutions align with the real-world needs of hospitals, healthcare professionals, and ultimately, patients.”
This collaboration forms part of the VIVA-ELISA® project—a groundbreaking technology that enables detection within the first 24 hours of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, a key biomarker for immunological stratification and prognosis in critically septic patients. The project has received €2.5 million in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC), positioning Viva In Vitro among the 40 most disruptive European companies in 2025.
The company’s mission is to save lives by enabling faster, more accurate, and personalized diagnoses to support clinical decision-making in critical care settings. Dr. Ferrer’s collaboration as an external advisor will help further this mission and strengthen the company’s model of medicine based on evidence, innovation, and collaboration.
About Viva In Vitro Diagnostics
Headquartered at the Scientific Park of Murcia, Viva In Vitro develops solutions based on NLRP3 inflammasome activation to improve prognosis in patients with sepsis and other inflammatory diseases. In less than five years, it has raised nearly €6 million in combined funding, backed by the EIC, and works in partnership with leading hospitals and research centers across Spain. Viva In Vitro is a member of ASEBIO and FENIN, and is part of Spain’s growing biotech innovation ecosystem.
More information: vivaivd.com
Press contact: Juan Carlos Milena, Head of Communications – juancarlos@vivaivd.com
