Regenerative medicine company Orthocell (ASX:OCC) has announced the issuance of a US patent relating to its cell factory technology which produces native cartilage and bone active proteins.
The company said the intellectual property is based on research carried out by Orthocell director Professor Lars Lidgren, professor of orthopaedics at Lund University in Sweden.
The department in Lund is a member of the International Society of Orthopaedic Centers group of world leading orthopaedic centres.
This intellectual property is focused on the generation of ‘tissue specific’ growth factors for the regeneration of cartilage and bone and follows on from the Cell Factory work for the cartilage injuries that was announced by Orthocell in May 2015.
Growth factors are an important stimulator of soft tissue and bone regeneration and have traditionally been extremely difficult to isolate from the “soup” of various growth factors and proteins that exist within the body, said the company in a statement.
According to Orthocell Managing Director, Paul Anderson, “This is another important step in bringing value to Orthocell’s tissue regeneration portfolio for enhancing repair of bone, tendon and cartilage injuries.
"More than 500,000 cartilage surgeries are undertaken in the US each year and the use of growth factors to prevent or augment a portion of these surgeries represents an attractive market opportunity for Orthocell.
“These cultivated growth factors have the potential to be a clinically important and cost effective procedure for the regeneration of articular cartilage of the knee and also other joints,” said Mr Anderson. “As the population ages and cartilage conditions become more prevalent, doctors and patients are seeking treatments to alleviate symptoms that affect mobility and quality of life.”
The patent will expire in 2027.