Swedish BONESUPPORT has announced that one of the components of its pipeline projects focused on developing a new CERAMENT product capable of enhancing bone growth has been awarded SEK 8 million in external funding from Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova.
The project titled Developing Functionalized Biomaterials with Bone Active Molecules as Novel Strategies/Tools for Secondary Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporotic Fragility Fractures will be conducted by an Indo-Swedish university research group. The project’s Principal Investigators are Professor Magnus Tägil, Department of Orthopedics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden and Professor Ashok Kumar, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, UP.
Professor Lars Lidgren, the founder of BONESUPPORT, and Professor Hanna Isaksson – both from Lund University – will be co-Principal Investigators of the project. Dr Eva Liden, BONESUPPORT’s Head of R&D, will also contribute her expertise.
The project will evaluate a combination of biphasic ceramics, bone active molecules and the body’s own cells to regenerate bone and improve mechanical strength in osteoporotic subjects
One of the goals is to assess the capability of CERAMENT G, a bone graft substitute that elutes the antibiotic gentamicin, to deliver a combination of bone morphogenic protein-2 to induce bone formation and zoledronic acid to decrease secondary bone resorption.
“I am pleased that this Indo-Swedish researh group, which is focused on developing novel CERAMENT products, has received this significant funding grant. If successful, this project will help us accelerate the development of products in our pipeline which is focused on delivering improved treatment options for osteoporotic fractures. We are confident that a new CERAMENT product which can deliver agents that enhance bone growth will be very attractive commercially,” commented Richard Davies, CEO of BONESUPPORT.
