The KyberSept AT III study recruited over 2300 patients from 200 centres, with high Simplified Acute Physiology Scale scores (median 50), and a mortality of nearly 40% [2] . Unfortunately, no overall benefit was shown between AT III and placebo, although results were more encouraging in an analysis of the subgroup of patients who received AT III but no heparin, which is known to inhibit AT III. Interestingly, improvements in quality of life scores were seen in survivors who received AT III in comparison to those who received placebo, suggesting that morbidity may be reduced, although again this was an analysis of a subgroup. Patients in the AT III group who received concomitant heparin had a significantly higher incidence of bleeding events, and outcome worsened as the dose of heparin increased. Explanations for the failure of this study included the inhibitory effects of heparin and the failure to achieve AT III activity levels of greater that 200% from baseline in the treatment population, a level established as required for therapeutic benefit in phase II trials.