Following the launch at BIO International in San Diego last week of NanoInterventions,
their cardiovascular joint venture partnership, Nanocopoeia
and WORLDiscoveries(TM) are pleased to announce their broader agreement to co-develop
the biomedical uses of arborescent polyisobutylene-based block copolymers. Nanocopoeia,
a drug delivery company specializing in therapeutic coatings for medical devices,
will lead the development effort and WORLDiscoveries(TM) will participate as
a partner in the market-targeted applications. The agreement includes an exclusive
world-wide license, for all biomedical fields of use, for the polymer system
that is the subject of US Patent No. 6,747,098 (2004) and nine other international
issued patents.
Arborescent polyisobutylene-based block copolymers are branched polymers
with unique properties for biomedical use. A major market opportunity is
their use as a drug-eluting coating for medical devices such as coronary
stents. When applied using Nanocopoeia's proprietary ElectroNanospray(TM)
process, the polymer provides a highly controllable matrix for drug delivery
and has excellent physical properties. For other applications, such as
tissue implants, this family of polymers has many attributes in common with
silicone materials but without the need of the additional chemicals that are
required to formulate silicone-based devices.
Judit E. Puskas, PhD, P.Eng, led the team at Western that invented the
family of polymers based on arborescent polyisobutylene. She held the
Bayer/NSERC (Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada)
Industrial Research Chair at Western between 1998 and 2003, and is now
Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Akron in Ohio. Dr. Puskas
commented, "This polymer system has enormous flexibility in the way it
can
be applied, while remaining totally stable. That, together with the
favorable biocompatibility profile of its building blocks, makes it an ideal
interface with body tissues." Dr. Puskas will participate in the joint
development program.
Nanocopoeia's drug delivery and coating technology uses the proprietary
ElectroNanospray(TM) process to apply nanoparticle-based coatings. The
unique process, which originated at the University of Minnesota, generates
nanoparticles made of drugs and polymers and assembles them into films with
controllable delivery.
The National Science Foundation's research funding has played an important
role in launching the collaboration. The commercial development of
Nanocopoeia's ElectroNanospray(TM) technology for biomedical applications
has been supported through multiple SBIR Phase II and supplemental awards
from the NSF Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. In the
course of that research, the Company's search for novel coating polymer
systems led them to Dr. Puskas, resulting in the ongoing productive
collaboration. Dr. Puskas' research is supported by the NSF Division of
Materials Research.
Nanocopoeia's CEO, Robert A. Hoerr, MD, PhD, said, "Based on our success
in
working with this polymer system, we believe it will have applicability for
a broad range of biomedical uses." He further commented that a first use
of
the polymer has been as a prototype drug-eluting stent coating based on
arborescent polyisobutylene-block-polystyrene (abbreviated arbIBS) used by
the joint venture NanoInterventions for its Mouse Stent Model. He continued,
"Given the strong interest that NanoInterventions' Mouse Stent Model
generated at BIO, we believe the polymer will be a key element in helping us
to define next generation of stent-delivered therapies."
NanoInterventions is a joint venture partnership that is launching the first
rapid screening model for new coronary stent coatings, using a genetically
modified mouse strain with human-like atherosclerosis, a mini- stent, and
experimental coatings on the stent. Joint venture partners other than
Nanocopoeia and Western include Stentome, LLC, an interventional cardiology
company based in Palo Alto, CA, Oxford, UK, and Galway, Ireland, and The
Integra Group, a medical research organization based in Brooklyn Park, MN,
that provides a full range of preclinical and clinical development services.
NanoInterventions was a featured company in the Positively Minnesota
pavilion in the BIO International exhibition hall, from June 17-20, 2008.
With annual research expenditures of more than $223 million and an
international reputation for success, The University of Western Ontario
ranks as one of the top ten research-intensive universities in Canada.
Offering Canada's best student experience among its peers, Western and its
affiliated research institutes provide a culture that encourages
entrepreneurial research and innovation.
WORLDiscoveries(TM) is a joint venture between Lawson Health Research
Institute and The University of Western Ontario, including Robarts Research
Institute, that capitalizes on the institutions' combined research strengths
related to medical and health-related sciences, energy and the environment
and new materials. The London region is recognized as a national leader in
these key areas, and the city has identified them as opportunities for
further growth.
Rob Herold, Associate Director of Western's Industrial Liaison Office,
commented, "The innovative structure of our licensing partnership with
Nanocopoeia lets us participate in the evolving healthcare applications of
this polymer platform. WORLDiscoveries(TM) was structured to enable us work
with highly entrepreneurial companies like Nanocopoeia and share in their
upside potential, in addition to the standard licensing process that we have
traditionally used. We have great confidence both in the technology and in
our new partner."