Industry News February 2010

Healthpoint Expands Regenerative Medicine Portfolio with New Acquisition

     Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex) recently announced its acquisition of two cell-based technologies from Intercytex Limited (Woburn, Mass) along with corresponding intellectual property (including patents), validated fibroblast and keratinocyte cell banks, and related production and testing equipment. The therapeutic candidates acquired include Cyzact™, human dermal fibroblasts delivered by means of a fibrin sheet and produced utilizing a streamlined manufacturing process as compared to similar products and ICX-SKN, a combination of fibroblasts and fibrin matrix that are remodeled to produce a collagen matrix that allows the engineered tissue to remain intact within a hostile wound environment.      The validated cell banks and equipment will be transferred to Healthpoint’s cell-based manufacturing facility in Lausanne, Switzerland, which is authorized by Swissmedic (the Swiss Regulatory Agency) for the production of both allogeneic cell therapies and autologous tissue products. The acquired technologies will join two other cell-based therapies in the Healthpoint portfolio: Keragraf™, one of the first human stem cell-derived products developed for wound care (an autologous epidermal equivalent) and the novel biologic treatment, HP802-247 (a cell therapy spray suspension) that entered into Phase 2b evaluation in the United States last year.      Visit www.healthpoint.com for more information.

Abbott Laboratories and KCI Donate to Haitian Relief Effort

     Abbott Laboratories (Chicago, Ill) and Kinetic Concepts Inc ([KCI] San Antonio, Tex) donated $4.5 million in grant funding and supplies to humanitarian agencies struggling to help Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010. Abbott said that its initial shipment of pharmaceutical and nutritional products is already in use in Haiti where thousands are sleeping in the streets with little or no medical care amid shortages of food and water. Abbott donated a total of $2.5 million in cash, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional products. KCI contributed more than $2 million worth of advanced wound care products to the Haiti relief effort collaborating with the Surgical Implant Generation (SIGN) and Project Medishare to distribute the products. KCI is also developing a program to match donations made by its employees to the relief effort.      Visit www.kci1.com for more information.

Wound Management Technologies Expands Its International Presence

     Wound Management Technologies Inc (Fort Worth, Tex) announced that it is nearing the completion of its registration of CellerateRX® in Mexico and has identified its first distributor in that country. Numerous physicians in the nation have already evaluated the Activated Collagen wound care product and were impressed with its speed and efficacy in the management of diabetic ulcers. The physicians are optimistic that it will play a tremendous role in the management of these types of wounds. CellerateRX is FDA cleared for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds that include but are not limited to: diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, traumatic wounds, superficial wounds, and pressure ulcers. It comes in both a powder (95% collagen) and a gel (65% collagen) form and does not contain any additives or synthetics. Demand for the product continues to grow in the Middle East as new orders are received. The product is also poised for distribution in South East Asia and South America upon completion of the necessary registrations.      Visit www.woundmanagementtechnologies.com for more information.

ConvaTec Donates Medical Supplies To Haitian Relief Effort

     ConvaTec (Skillman, NJ) announced that it has made an initial donation of more than $400,000 in medical supplies to rescue and relief efforts in Haiti following the recent earthquake that hit the island on January 12, 2010. Working through the ConvaTec manufacturing facility in Haina, Dominican Republic, which was unaffected by the quake, the donation consisted of advanced wound dressings and skin care products, which were stocked at the facility. In coordination with the Dominican Red Cross along with other Red Cross societies, transportation of donated medical supplies was recently shipped to Haiti. Future donation efforts from the ConvaTec network are in development with other third party organizations currently distributing needed medical supplies in Haiti. In the days and weeks to come, the company will continue to pursue other channels through which it will provide aid and distribute additional resources to Haiti, ensuring that necessary medical supplies reach those in need as quickly as possible.      Visit www.convatec.com for more information.

Research Team Receives Development Grant

     A new treatment with the potential to benefit burns, diabetes, and the elderly by way of fast tracking the healing of chronic wounds has recently taken another step toward commercialization. Research done by Allison Cowin, Associate Professor from the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute (Adelaide, Australia) and the University of Adelaide's Discipline of Surgery, recently received a $529,450 development grant from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).      The team found that a specific protein known as Flightless I (FliI) restricts wound healing. The Adelaide researchers have been able to use antibodies to suppress the FliI protein, thereby promoting wound healing. This new technology will also have applications for treating burn injuries and surgical wounds.      Visit www.infectioncontroltoday.com for more information.