Treatment of sepsis and hypercytokinemia

1 . A method for treating sepsis comprising administering dextran sulfate, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, having a number average molecular weight (Mn) as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy within a range of from 1850 to 3500 Da and an average sulfate number per glucose unit within a range of from 2.5 to 3.0 to a subject suffering from sepsis.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein administering dextran sulfate comprises administering the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to a subject suffering from an infection or an infectious disease that may cause sepsis in the subject.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein administering dextran sulfate comprises systemically administering the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to the subject.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein administering dextran sulfate comprises intravenously administering the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to the subject.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein administering dextran sulfate comprises subcutaneously administering the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to the subject.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average sulfur content in a range of from 15 to 20%.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has a Mn as measured by NMR spectroscopy within a range of from 1850 to 2500 Da.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has a Mn as measured by NMR spectroscopy within a range of from 1850 to 2300 Da.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has a Mn as measured by NMR spectroscopy within a range of from 1850 to 2000 Da.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average sulfate number per glucose unit within a range of from 2.5 to 2.8.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average sulfate number per glucose unit within a range of from 2.6 to 2.7.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average number of glucose units within an interval of from 4.0 to 6.0.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average number of glucose units within an interval of from 4.5 to 5.5.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has an average number of glucose units within an interval of from 5.0 to 5.2.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, has on average 5.1 glucose units and an average sulfate number per glucose unit of 2.6 to 2.7.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein administering dextran sulfate comprises administering an aqueous injection solution comprising the dextran sulfate, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to the subject.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is a sodium salt of dextran sulfate.