This current study is a combined phase IIa/IIb, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. In the first part, phase IIa, the study aims to confirm safety and tolerability in a patient population (n=60, 30 active and 30 placebo) with systemic inflammation elicited by on-pump cardiac surgery. In the second part, phase IIb, the immunomodulatory effect of EA-230 is studied in a same patient population (n=180, 90 active and 90 placebo, including patients from part 1).