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Osteoinductive 3D scaffold for bone defect treatment to be transfered from a French Technology Transfer Office

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: TOFR20180316001
Publication Date: 28 March 2018

Summary

An innovative bone substitute scaffold with high osteoinductive performance has been set up and fully investigated including large animal testing, by a research lab in the Paris region. The French Technology Transfer Office (TTO) acting on behalf the research lab, is looking for a licensing agreement with biomedical companies. A technical cooperation agreement may also be set up to help clinical investigation promoted by the partner. A financial agreement with investors may also be an option.

Description

A French Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is acting on behalf several major research universities and engineering schools in the Paris region. One of them operating in high-value material engineering and chemistry, has developed an innovative scaffold with high osteoinduction power. It can readily be transfered for use as a bone substitute in the treatment of bone defects following tumors or traumas.

* State of the art :
Up to now, bone substitution gold standard is performed using autologous bone grafts, i.e. collected from the same patient. Unfortunately there is a limited supply of graft material and a risk of infection leading to a significant morbidity. In order to face these limitations, some synthetic bone substitutes have been launched into the market. Unfortunately, they still present significant drawbacks : lack of osteoinduction, low mechanical strength, inadequate cutting and molding properties as regards to the surgery needs.

* Market challenges :
As compared to the autolog bone graft process, osteoinductive properties of synthetic bone substitutes have to be increased. In most cases they are supposed to be used with extrinsic growth factors or bone morphogenic proteins.
The use of collagen is promising since it can improve mechanical strength and long-term growth of bone tissue. The main challenge is to raise the osteoconductive (passive growth) as well as osteoinductive (active growth) properties of bone subsitutes, by means of consistent materials and structure.

* Proposed technology :
An innovative bone substitute scaffold has been designed. On one hand, a specific manufacturing process has been patented. It allows mixing of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-grade collagen and hydroxyapatite materials into a single biomaterial. On the other hand, the resulting scaffold architecture is a biomimetic one since its architecture is close to the extracellular bone matrix.
Both collagen and hydroxyapatite are already used as biocompatible materials. The resulting scaffold shows a mimetic bone composition as well as a structural bone-like architecture.

In vivo trials have been carried out on small (rat) and large (sheep) animal models. The laters have been performed using the facilities and protocols of a large animal-specialized Contract Research Organization (CRO) usually operating for major implant and tissue engineering corporates.
Results show significant improvements of both the osteoinduction and mechanical properties. Qualitative results are shown in the attached figures. Quantitative results are available within a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

The French TTO is looking for companies operating in biomedical technologies such as orthopaedics and bone substitutes. A licensing agreement is expected since the process is easily transferable for industrial use. A technical cooperation agreement can also be discussed in order to check the biomaterial performance for specific bone defects. The French TTO is also opened to further financial agreement with investors.
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Advantages and Innovations

Innovation :
The patented process leads to a 3D structure of a collagen-hydroxyapatite composite biomaterial.

Advantages of the biomaterial manufacturing process :

- the process is consistent with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the biomedical industry, so it is readily transferable,
- the process doesn't need any toxic component or adjuvant.

Advantages of the resulting bone substitute :

- it shows a very dense structure including a collagen fibrils organization, and a biomimetic hydroxyapatite mineral phase,
- it shows an very efficient osteoinduction without adding extrinsic growth factors or bone morphogenic proteins,
- it doesn't lead to any side effects such as the secretion of inflammatory molecules,
- its texture can easily be cut and molded, with respect to the surgery needs.

Stage Of Development

Prototype available for demonstration

Stage Of Development Comment

The French TTO strategy is to get interest from SMEs, scaling-up startups, or investors operating in orthopaedics or tissue engineering, with a view to carry out further clinical investigation.

Requested partner

The French TTO is looking for companies operating in medical technologies such as orthopaedics and bone substitutes.
A licensing agreement is expected since the process is easily transferable for industrial use.
A technical cooperation agreement with biomedical companies can also be discussed in order to check the biomaterial performance for specific bone defects.
The French TTO is also opened to further financial agreement with investors. The laters may have a view to add the above-mentioned technology in the portfolio of an existing innovative startup, or they may be interested to invest in a future one.

Cooperation offer is closed for requests