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Bone Healing
Bone grafts are
placed by surgeons into or onto the bone to repair bone that is lost to
disease, severe trauma, or when fusing vertebra in the spinal column -
altogether not uncommon procedures. Typically, grafts are
synthetic materials such as calcium-containing crystals, human donor
bone from bone banks, or bone taken from another part of the body
(autografts). Bone is the
second most implanted material in the body (after blood
transfusions). Craniofacial implants and bone
grafting represents over a 5 billion
dollar segment of this market, and is growing briskly at 15%
(Kalorama), while the market for orthopedic implants and bone grafting
is much larger. Rapid market growth is due to
the need for a more
effective alternative to painful patient autografts (bone removed from
somewhere else in the body), and the shortage of donor bone grafts.
While the industry is moving towards synthetic bone graft materials,
the most advanced now contain recombinant proteins called
growth-factors. Agenta's technology seeks the advantages of
growth-factor enhanced
synthetic bone grafts.
Agenta Biotechnologies, Inc. has entered into an exclusive license for
its core technology relating to bone repair with Bonenta Inc.
Combinations of Bonenta's proprietary
therapeutics and growth-factors will out-perform standard bone grafts
and will out-perform newer growth-factor-enhanced graft
materials. This IP will allow safer and more cost-efficient
biological activity for improving bone regeneration in the head, spine,
and long bones.
Soft Tissue Healing
Agenta is developing
biologically enhanced regenerative membranes that are used in surgical
procedures such
as bone grafting. Bone regeneration is often necessary and critical to
successful restoration
of form and function in the mouth, and procedures called guided tissue
regeneration using barrier membranes are essential to
achieving optimal results. Whether restoring lost bone around teeth or implants, or in larger areas of
the jaws affected by trauma or disease, too often there is inadequate
gum tissue to cover
the membranes and the graft sites which can lead to membrane exposure
and procedural
failure. Our data suggests that augmenting membranes made of
chitosan (a material used in wound bandages) or with collagen
incorporating our proprietary biologic improves gingival healing over
exposed membranes in the mouth. We expect this technology to
improve success rates of oral bone regenerative procedures to treat
periodontal disease,
to place dental implants, and in cases where maxillofacial
reconstruction is needed, therefore meeting patient needs and
commercial needs in a large market. There is an absence in today’s
standard of care for
bioactivated regenerative membranes and Agenta's work in this area
addresses that need with a rationally designed R&D
plan with an understanding of the existing market, competitors, or
potential partners.
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