Proteo is currently setting up a pivotal phase III clinical trial for the prophylactic treatment of acute postoperative complications after resection of esophageal cancer, after a phase II multi-center trial had demonstrated that Elafin treated patients needed a significantly shorter stay in the intensive care unit as compared to placebo patients. In a further phase II study in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, a significant reduction of the circulating cardiac damage marker Troponin I at 6 hours after surgery was observed.