DSM, a global leader in biomedical materials, today announced that it has signed a joint collaboration agreement with AdeTherapeutics to accelerate the company’s scar reduction and pain management product development strategy in neurosurgery, specifically in spine surgery and craniotomy.
The primary objective of this collaboration is to combine the drug delivery expertise of DSM with the therapeutic and clinical development expertise of AdeTherapeutics to create the world’s first product to address scar tissue formation (epidural fibrosis) after spinal surgery. The success of this project may be expanded to craniotomies.
Scar tissue formation has been linked to 20-36% of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) cases, which often cause patients debilitating pain. With over one million spine surgery procedures done in the US alone, FBSS represents a significant unmet need and burden to the healthcare system. With the aging population, spine surgery rates are expected to climb significantly.
Leading the project development will be Stanford and Cleveland Clinic-trained neurosurgeon Dr Michael Kelly. "The clinical relevance is obvious, because we see too many patients back in the OR due to chronic pain, nerve root compression and other complications related to epidural fibrosis," said Dr Kelly. "Furthermore, build up of scar tissue makes it challenging for us to perform repeat surgeries, and any improvement would be welcomed by neurosurgeons and their patients. Therefore, I am very excited to be a part of this project to develop materials and methods to help reduce this type of scarring and to work with a global leader such as DSM to bring this much-needed product to the market."
"This is another important step in building our presence in drug delivery and furthering DSM’s ambitions in biomedical materials," said DSM Biomedical drug delivery business director Donato DiBiase. "Being active in both materials sciences and life sciences, DSM is in a unique position to create new, innovative products that address societal needs. This collaboration with AdeTherapeutics is a perfect example. AdeTherapeutics’ novel approach to pain management and scar reduction combined with DSM’s expertise
in biomaterials and drug delivery is a fruitful collaboration. We are excited about the potential of this relationship."
"DSM offers extensive experience and resources, and has a leading position in the fast growing biomedical materials market," said AdeTherapeutics chief executive officer Sanj Singh. "This, combined with AdeTherapeutics’ team of esteemed surgeons and novel approach to wound healing, helps to meet our vision of becoming a worldwide leader in developing products that address complications related to surgery, such as post operative pain due to scar formation. We have the best minds around the table and
this collaboration is an example of that."