Endomimetics™ Awarded $292 Thousand, One-Year NIH/SBIR Grant to Develop and Evaluate Potential of Bionanomatrix™ to Reduce Infectious and Inflammatory Complications of Knee Arthroplasty

Knee arthroplasty is another example of the broad potential utility of Bionanomatrix™ to improve patient outcomes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Nov. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Endomimetics, the developer of Bionanomatrix^TM, a peptide-based biomaterial used to promote healing and improve outcomes following medical device implantation and other procedures, announced today the awarding of a $292 thousand, one-year National Institute of Health (NIH) / Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to support research to develop and evaluate the potential of a Bionanomatrix^TM formulation to reduce infectious and inflammatory complications that occur following knee arthroplasty. This new application provides further evidence of the broad utility of the Bionanomatrix^TM to improve performance and outcomes of implantable medical devices.

“Our Bionanomatrix^TM technology is a peptide-based coating that can be engineered for specific applications across a variety of medical devices and surgeries,” said Joseph Garner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Endomimetics. “Knee arthroplasty, which has led to significant improvement in the quality of life for patients with degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis, can still lead to serious complications such as infection and arthrofibrosis that can result in implant failure or limited range of movement. The research funded by this grant will allow the Endomimetics team to develop and test a formulation of Bionanomatrix^TM that we predict will reduce the risk of these complications. If results are promising, knee arthroplasty can be added to the list of Bionanomatrix^TM applications to improve patient outcomes.”

Research funded by this Phase I SBIR grant will support development and evaluation of a multifunctional, nitric oxide (NO) and antibiotic loaded liposomes (ABLipo)-releasing Bionanomatrix^TM coating that will be applied onto cobalt-chromium (CoCr) knee implants. In vitro research will optimize the implant coating and characterize its release kinetics, coating uniformity/stability, and ability to prevent or mitigate infection/biofilm formation, inflammation, and fibrotic tissue formation. Efficacy of the coated implants will be evaluated in a total knee arthroplasty infection model. If successful, the Company expects to progress to a Phase II SBIR grant that will evaluate the Bionanomatrix orthopedic implant coating in a larger model, assess microbiological mechanisms and conduct ASTM/ISO standardized biocompatibility studies for future applications.

About Endomimetics:

Endomimetics is a privately held Company founded to develop applications for its proprietary Bionanomatrix^TM technology. The Bionanomatrix^TM, invented by bioengineering scientists and physicians at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), is a peptide-based coating that can be engineered to perform a variety of functions, which may have broad application in medical device implantation and other surgical procedures. Endomimetics’ plans to develop different applications through preclinical development then partner with medical device companies whose technology could benefit from Bionanomatrix^TM. The Company’s lead indication is the AVF GEL, which is designed to improve the maturation of arteriovenous fistulas. Other indications include coatings on stents and angioplasty balloons, dental direct pulp capping (DPC) and flow diverters. Additional information may be found on the Company’s website https://endomimetics.com/.

Contact Details:

Investor Contact:
Eric Ando / Cameron Radinovic
Burns McClellan
eando@burnsmc.com / cradinovic@burnsmc.com

Media Contacts:
Burns McClellan
Selina Husain / Robert Flamm, Ph.D.
shusain@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com

Company Contact:
Endomimetics
Dr. Joseph Garner
Chief Executive Officer
jng@endomimetics.com