Orthobiologics to Treat Spine-Related Diseases

This organization seeks new orthobiologic technologies that stimulate bone growth in spinal fusion repairs. We are also seeking FDA-approved materials with strength and stiffness close to cortical bone. This material should also be elastic.

Spine-related diseases such as Degenerative Disc Disease cause pain and immobility, and eventual disability. Their incidence increases with an aging population. Spinal injuries can happen at any age.

The organization is looking for methods that stimulate bone growth, provide a growth scaffolding, and promote bone healing through osteoinduction (bone formation is actively induced) and osteoconduction (where a scaffold facilitates bone repair passively). These methods may incorporate:

• Bone substitute materials such as allografts and synthetic bone scaffolds, bio-glass ceramics, or porous ceramics, bio-active cements, synthetic hydroxyapatite, resorbable bone void filler, or nano-HA.
• Growth factors/peptides such as Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) substitutes.
• Other drugs or herbal extracts—protein polymers, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides.
• Current treatment involves spinal fusion. This immobilizes one or more vertebral joints.

The organization is also looking for materials which can be used to fill the interspinous spaces.

Ideally, you’ll offer new, promising, developable, and FDA-approved technologies that actively stimulate bone growth in spinal fusion conditions and that provide a matrix for the growth of new bone. For example, your technology might offer readily usable elastic biomaterial with strength and stiffness close to cortical bone and that can be used to fill or expand a capsule that is inserted into the space between vertebral bodies or spinous processes.

The organization understands that many technologies of this nature are still in early stages, may have a lengthy development horizon, and may not have undergone clinical trials.

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