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Scil Technology Establishes Proof of Concept with Proprietary Cartilage Repair Technology |
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12 Jan 2006 |
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Martinsried, DE | Jan 11, 2006 | Scil Technology, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of dental and orthopaedic tissue regeneration products, today announced that it has established proof of concept in a preclinical study of its proprietary growth factor rhCD-RAP (recombinant human cartilage derived retinoic acid sensitive protein) for cartilage repair. This growth factor is being developed for the regenerative repair of osteochondral deficits such as knee injuries and will form a
component of the biomaterial ST03a that Scil Technology plans to take into the clinic.
Osteochondral defects are defects to the joint cartilage that can result for example from traumatic injury. The study investigated the effect of the growth factor CD-RAP on the healing of full-thickness osteochondral defects in an adult preclinical model. It was demonstrated, that treatment with the growth factor greatly accelerates the repair of articular cartilage and shows a statistically significant improvement in the histological appearance of the repair cartilage.
Dr Irina Staatz-Granzer, Managing Director of Scil Technology, commented:
“This is the first proof of concept for a cartilage specific growth factor for the treatment of joint injuries. Osteochondral defects are painful and debilitating and present treatment options offer little benefit. We hope that our approach will lead to a truly regenerative cartilage treatment.”
Scil Technology previously acquired the worldwide patents and patent applications concerning the substance and production of rhCD-RAP from Roche Diagnostics GmbH in October 2005. ST03A, Scil’s lead regenerative cartilage product, is a biodegradable implant for the treatment of osteochondral defects such as knee injuries. It consists of a combination of rhCD-RAP and a carrier matrix allowing for controlled release of the growth factor to the defect site.
About Scil Technology GmbH
Scil Technology is a private biopharmaceutical development company focused on dental and orthopaedic tissue regeneration with a particular emphasis on bone and cartilage repair. The Company’s lead therapeutic candidates are based on recombinant, highly specific human growth factors. These are combined with biodegradable biomaterials to generate local application forms. Scil Technology’s pipeline for dentistry includes products that are targeted at periodontal disease, dental implantology and maxillofacial surgery. Orthopaedic products are developed for spinal fusion, bone trauma, joint cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. Scil Technology has emerged from the Scil Group and is located in the biotechnology cluster in Martinsried, Germany.
For more information please visit: http://www.scil.com
Contacts
Media relations:
Douglas Pretsell, Ph.D., Senior Account Manager
Northbank Communications
t : +44 (0) 20 7886 8158
e:
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At Scil Technology:
Dr Irina Staatz-Granzer, Managing Director
Scil Technology GmbH
t: +49 (0)89 85651824
e:
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Notes for Editors
Osteochondral defects
An osteochondral defect is a defect in the gristle or hyaline cartilage at the end of the bones, where the joint surface and some of the underlying bone has been damaged. Defects of this sort are usually the result of injuries caused by sports or automobile accidents. The defect tends to be a crater with deep sides and the joint cartilage cannot fill over the gap. Insufficient management of chondral defects will lead to further destructive joint disease.
The current common treatment for chondral defect is a reduction of pain and discomfort by lavage or shaving of the affected regions. Other approaches include the stimulation of the intrinsic healing capacity by drilling procedures (Pridie drilling) and reconstructive methods comprising osteochondral transplantation using autografts (mosaicplasty procedures) and allografts. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is also emerging as a new technology using in vitro expansion of autologous donor cells. However, clinical experience with human patients has likewise yielded disappointing results. Despite the extremely high need for cartilage regeneration, until now no effective treatment method for regeneration in vivo has been established.
Scil Technology’s proprietary growth factor for cartilage repair
Scil Technology is using a recombinant version of the cartilage derived retinoic acid sensitive protein (rhCD-RAP) as a cartilage growth factor in its cartilage regeneration programme. rhCD-RAP is highly specific for cartilage tissue. It has been shown to play a crucial role during cartilage formation in embryonic development and in the matrix stimulation of chondrocytes in adult animals. Furthermore it has been shown to stimulate cartilage synthesis in in vitro studies with chondrocytes from osteoarthritis patients. These properties make rhCD-RAP a highly promising candidate for cartilage regeneration in indications such as chondral defects and osteoarthritis.
All these properties make rhCD-RAP a highly promising candidate for cartilage regeneration and Scil Technology is developing a product candidate using rhCD-RAP for use with cartilage defects: ST03. ST03 makes use of a combination of rhCD-RAP and a carrier matrix allowing for controlled release of the growth factor to the defect site. The carrier is intended to be plug-shaped for direct press fitting into the osteochondral defect, either by surgery or by minimally invasive techniques.
Source: Scil Technology |
