Aegis Biosciences receives National Institutes of Health SBIR grant
$150,895 NIH Grant Funds Development of Designer Surfaces that Promote Vascular Healing
Spokane, WA – March 17, 2008 – Aegis Biosciences, LLC, an innovative biomedical materials firm and Sirti incubator client, is pleased to announce receipt of a $150,895 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health. The grant, entitled “Peptide-Modified Sulfonated Styrene Block Copolymers for Vascular Applications”, and performed in collaboration with Case Western University and the Cleveland Clinic, will help Aegis continue to develop and perfect their new family of biomaterials that guide biological repair and promote healing. Aegis’ materials are designed for use in a variety of cardiovascular devices, and provide superior tissue compatibility, excellent resistance to clotting, and can be customized with added biological healing agents for “tissue engineering” applications.
“Our work in this important area is focused on designing surfaces that dramatically increase the effectiveness of conduits like stents, vascular grafts, stent grafts, and other surfaces that may be used in devices like the total artificial heart.” says Dave Vachon, Aegis’s Chief Technology Officer. “There is no question that the nanostructured copolymer technologies we’ve developed have great potential to improve medical outcomes associated with a number of different cardiovascular devices — quite possibly in a revolutionary way. The NIH has helped us with preclinical studies related to our wound dressings in the past, and we’re pleased to know they see the value and therapeutic benefits we may bring to this very important area of medicine.”
Proven blood compatible and anti-inflammatory, and possessing customizable drug delivery capabilities, Aegis’ nanotechnology solution for wounds has been demonstrated effective in NIH-funded studies in the recent past. It is Aegis’ expectation that its technology will also be of great value when used to mitigate procedure-related inflammation and the risk of contamination and inflection associated with medical device implantation.
Aegis Biosciences is headquartered and incubated at Sirti, an economic development agency of the State of Washington. Sirti’s role is to accelerate the development and growth of innovative technology companies with defensible intellectual property, large market potential and principals who show a strong desire to prudently grow their business.
About Aegis Biosciences, LLC
Aegis Biosciences, LLC is a biomaterials-drug delivery technology company focused initially in the development of advanced wound dressings using innovative and patented biomaterials with the capacity for targeted (controlled release) drug delivery. Aegis’s competitive advantage centers on a class of patented hydrogel biomaterials. These materials possess physical/mechanical, chemical and process characteristics unparalleled by any hydrogel material used in the industry today. For more information, visit Aegis Biosciences online at www.aegisbioscienes.com.
Dave Vachon
Chief Technology Officer
Aegis Biosciences, LLC
509-210-0736
david.vachon@aegisbiosciences.com
About Sirti
Sirti is an agency of the State of Washington which is a collaboration of business, higher education and government to accelerate the development and growth of technology and biomedical companies in the Inland Northwest, especially in Eastern Washington. Its target clients are innovative technology companies with defensible intellectual property, large market potential, and principals who show a strong desire to grow their business. Sirti offers two state-of-the-art buildings with a total of 40,000 square feet of space with wet labs and light manufacturing potential along with full service offices and a sophisticated IT infrastructure. Sirti offers business coaching and management assistance, as well as access to capital and Sirti IP/BizNet legal services. Sirti’s experienced staff and veteran entrepreneurs provide expertise in technology assessment, market research, strategic planning, marketing, finance and management for both start-ups and high-growth businesses. For more information, contact us at 509-358-2000.
