Endomimetics™ Awarded $100,000 Grant from Innovate Alabama to Support Development and Evaluate Potential of Bionanomatrix™ to Reduce Infectious and Inflammatory Complications of Knee Arthroplasty
July 09 2024 - 8:00AM
Endomimetics, the developer of Bionanomatrix™, a peptide-based
biomaterial used to promote healing and improve outcomes following
medical device implantation and other procedures, announced today
the awarding of a $100,000 grant from Innovate Alabama to support
research to develop and evaluate the potential of a
Bionanomatrix™ formulation to reduce infectious and
inflammatory complications that occur following knee replacement.
The grant is supplemental to the previously awarded $292 thousand
one-year NIH/SBIR grant to support this indication. These grants
provide further evidence of the broad utility of the
Bionanomatrix™ to improve performance and outcomes of
implantable medical devices.
“Our Bionanomatrix™ technology emerged from bioengineering
work conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is
part of a state-wide effort to foster the continued development of
the biomedical industry in Alabama,” said Joseph Garner, Ph.D.,
Chief Executive Officer of Endomimetics. “We are very grateful that
Innovate Alabama also sees the value of our platform and its
potential to improve patient outcomes following medical device
implantation or interventional surgeries. With this grant we
continue to focus on the potential of Bionanomatrix™ to
improve the success rate for patients needing knee replacements
while also advancing the other applications for the platform.”
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects
more than 32 million individuals in the United States, causing
debilitating joint destruction and chronic joint pain, stiffness,
and physical impairment. To restore and improve the patient’s
quality of life, total knee arthroplasty is the most common
surgical intervention performed for OA to replace the compromised
joint with artificial femoral and tibial implants. Knee
arthroplasty has led to significant improvement in the quality of
life for patients but serious complications such as infection (up
to 2% of surgeries; https://doi.org/10.1302%2F2058-5241.1.000032)
and arthrofibrosis or abnormal scarring (3-10%;
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep16469) can result in implant failure or
limited range of movement. Bionanomatrix™ is being
investigated in this indication with the objective of reducing the
rate of these post-surgical complications.
Research funded by this grant will be added to a Phase I
NHI/SBIR grant awarded in November 2023 to support development and
evaluation of a multifunctional, nitric oxide (NO) and antibiotic
loaded liposomes (ABLipo)-releasing Bionanomatrix™ coating
that will be applied onto cobalt-chromium (CoCr) knee implants. In
vitro research will optimize the implant coating and characterize
its release kinetics, coating uniformity/stability, and ability to
prevent or mitigate infection/biofilm formation, inflammation, and
fibrotic tissue formation. Efficacy of the coated implants will be
evaluated in a total knee arthroplasty infection model. If
successful, the Company expects to progress to a Phase II SBIR
grant that will evaluate the Bionanomatrix orthopedic implant
coating in a larger model, assess microbiological mechanisms and
conduct ASTM/ISO standardized biocompatibility studies for future
applications.
About Endomimetics: Endomimetics is a privately
held Company founded to develop applications for its proprietary
Bionanomatrix™ technology. The Bionanomatrix™, invented by
bioengineering scientists and physicians at the University of
Alabama Birmingham (UAB), is a peptide-based coating that can be
engineered to perform a variety of functions, which may have broad
application in medical device implantation and other surgical
procedures. Endomimetics’ plans to develop different applications
through preclinical development then partner with medical device
companies whose technology could benefit from Bionanomatrix™. The
Company’s lead indication is the AVF GEL, which is designed to
improve the maturation of arteriovenous fistulas. Other indications
include coatings on stents and angioplasty balloons, dental direct
pulp capping (DPC) and flow diverters. Additional information may
be found on the Company’s website
https://endomimetics.com/.
About Innovate AlabamaInnovate Alabama is
Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on
entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help
innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was
established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set
forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including
smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive
and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world.
With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate
Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders
appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance
industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where
innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate
Alabama at innovatealabama.org.
Contact Details: Investor Contacts: Eric Ando /
Cameron Radinovic Burns McClellaneando@burnsmc.com /
cradinovic@burnsmc.com
Media Contact: Burns McClellanRobert Flamm,
Ph.D.rflamm@burnsmc.com
Company Contact:EndomimeticsDr. Joseph GarnerChief Executive
Officerjng@endomimetics.com