- Ixion Biotechnology Receives Funding to Develop Urinary Stent
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 ALACHUA, FL, July 7, 2003 - Ixion Biotechnology announced today that it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health for research entitled "Enzyme-coated urinary prostheses to prevent encrustation."
- The $763,608 grant over a period of two years will allow Ixion researchers to continue their development of a coating technology that would be applied to stents placed in the urinary tract. The coating, researchers hypothesize, will help to eliminate encrustation and other problems associated with urinary stents and catheters that are currently used in practice. Ixion researchers will then use the coating technology to develop a prototype enzyme-coated stent to be tested for its ability to prevent encrustation and bacterial adhesion in an animal model that closely mimics the human urinary tract.
- Encrustation, a common problem with today's urinary stents and catheters, can lead to obstructed urinary flow, infections and pain and discomfort, according to principal investigator Harmeet Sidhu, PhD, Ixion's President and chief operating officer. "To date, there are no biomaterials used in the urinary tract that are completely biocompatible and capable of withstanding the effects of the urinary environment for extended time periods," Sidhu says. "We were able to show in Phase I trials that 'functionalized' silicone elastomer with the oxalate-degrading enzyme, oxalate decarboxylase, was resistant to calcium-oxalate encrustation and bacterial adhesion."
- According to Sidhu, the world market for urological drains is about $844 million and growing. "Urinary catheters are some of the most commonly used devices in medical care, with urethral and ureteral stents, catheters and other urological implants used in more than 10% of all hospitalized patients. In spite of this, the devices cause a disproportionate number of complications. This grant will help us to address the need to develop a novel urinary device that will reduce encrustation to a minium, resulting in significant cost savings and improvement of quality of life," she says.
- This is Ixion's 13th SBIR/STTR grant in three years, totaling close to $4 million in funding. Ixion, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops cell-based therapies focused on treatment of metabolic disorders. Ixion is the world's foremost company specializing in oxalate control therapies for primary and secondary hyperoxaluria, recurrent kidney stones, catheter occlusion, and other oxalate-related conditions. It also is known for its research in diabetes, including somatic cell therapies to treat diabetes. Q-Med AB (QMED.ST), whose shares are listed on the Stockholm stock exchange, is a major investor in and collaborator with Ixion. For more information about Ixion's current activities, visit Ixion's web site at www.ixion-biotech.com or call 386-418-1428 x 310.
- This news release discusses historical information and includes forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, such as risks associated with pre-clinical and clinical development in the biotechnology industry, determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities, competitive factors, technological developments and costs of developing, producing and selling products.
- Contacts:
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- Harmeet Sidhu, Ph.D.
- President and COO
- Ixion Biotechnology, Inc.
- 386-418-1428 (voice)
- 386-418-1583 (fax)
- Info@ixion-biotech.com
Lisette Hilton
561-392-5649 (voice)
561-392-7496 (fax)
Info@ixion-biotech.com
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