DALLAS and WARWICK, R.I. — February 12, 2013 — TissueGen® Inc., developer of a cutting-edge
absorbable polymer technology for implantable drug delivery across a wide variety of therapeutic
applications, today announced that its patented extrusion technology enables absorbable fibers to
be loaded with a wider variety of drugs and biologically-based entities than ever previously
possible. The company is partnering with Biomedical Structures LLC (BMS), a developer of
biomedical textiles for medical devices and other advanced clinical applications, to develop a
finished textile platform for drug-eluting medical device applications such as small diameter
vascular grafts and stents, tissue and nerve regeneration, orthopedics, and sutures using
TissueGen’s patented drug delivery technology.
TissueGen’s proven technology is purpose-built for advanced drug delivery and sustained
therapeutic release. Its core technology includes fiber extrusion at room temperature, which
preserves the biological activity of incorporated drugs and therapeutic agents. This enables drug
delivery through biodegradable fibers – a groundbreaking format that drastically expands the types
of agents that can be directly incorporated into implantable medical devices. For the first time,
device developers can take advantage of the sophisticated drug-delivery capabilities of fibers
incorporating high levels of manufacturing tolerance to provide tailored release kinetics for in
vivo support and regeneration applications. Designed for custom tunability of release profiles and
capabilities, this unique biomaterial format is used across a wide variety of therapeutics and can
be engineered for any biologic therapeutic from small pharmaceuticals to protein class drugs such
as enzymes, and growth factors, even large viral particles. Drugs are incorporated into the fiber
according to device performance requirements using a combination of commercially available polymer
components, including PLLA and PDO.
BMS will utilize the TissueGen polymer extrusion platform to develop biomedical textile
structures designed for drug delivery within the body. Because the TissueGen technology allows for
the engineering of both chemical composition and mechanical properties such as size, shape, and
porosity to each specific application, a single structure can satisfy both physical and
pharmaceutical performance requirements without requiring additional material support for
implantation. Ideal for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, the polymer
platform is bio-absorbable and can control therapeutic release over time in accordance with its
designed degradation profile as device performance requires. As BMS continues to pursue new markets
and expand the reach of biomedical textiles, it will utilize TissueGen’s absorbable fiber
technology to innovate on the possibilities for long-term implant devices that provide repair and
regrowth functions.
“TissueGen’s polymer technology is exactly the drug delivery solution that can help to
overcome many of the constraints of current polymer-based systems,” said BMS CEO Dean Tulumaris.
“As BMS works to provide our customers with an increasingly robust suite of solutions for every
device design challenge, we believe the TissueGen absorbable delivery platform will provide a
tremendous addition to our biomedical textile development capabilities for cardiovascular, tissue
engineering, and other applications.”
“We look forward to working with BMS and its customers to bring this important technology to
market,” said Christopher Knowles, CEO of TissueGen. “With its extensive expertise and leadership
in the medical textiles market, Biomedical Structures is ideally suited to offer our proven drug
delivery platform as a viable choice for medical device and pharma companies.”
BMS offers expertise in knitting, braiding, weaving, nonwovens, and composites, and utilizes
a broad offering of biocompatible absorbable and non-absorbable materials in devices, drug delivery
and surgical systems for advanced applications such as bifurcated stent grafts, tapered tendon and
ligament repair structures, heart valve solutions, and more.
The companies will be exhibiting their joint solution at BMS’ booth, #1451, at the MD&M
West event from February 12-14 in Anaheim, CA.
Posted on February 12, 2013
Source: Biomedical Structures
