Scil Technology Acquires Rights to Worldwide Patents for CD-RAP from Roche Diagnostics GmbH
MARTINSRIED, Germany, October 10, 2005 – Scil Technology, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of dental and orthopaedic tissue regeneration products, today announced that it had acquired the worldwide patents and patent applications concerning the substance and production of the growth factor MIA/CD-RAP from Roche Diagnostics GmbH. This completes Scil Technology’s underlying basic patent portfolio allowing full use of CD-RAP in the Company’s development programme for the treatment of cartilage disorders. Scil Technology in turn licensed back the use of CD-RAP to Roche Diagnostics GmbH for their research diagnostics. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Scil Technology is using a recombinant version of CD-RAP (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.
Dr Irina Staatz-Granzer, Managing Director of Scil Technology, commented:
“The acquisition of this patent completes our intellectual ownership of this promising cartilage growth factor, which gives us complete freedom to operate in using CD-RAP for the development of novel cartilage regenerative products .”
ST03, 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: d.pretsell@northbankcommunications.com
At Scil Technology:
Dr Irina Staatz-Granzer, Managing Director
Scil Technology GmbH
t: +49 (0)89 85651824
e: irina.staatz@scil.com
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 artificially expanded autograft material. However, despite the extremely high need for cartilage regeneration, until now no effective treatment method for regeneration in vivo has been available.
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