Endomimetics™ Awarded $100,000 Grant from Innovate Alabama to Support Development and Evaluate Potential of Bionanomatrix™ to Reduce Infectious and Inflammatory Complications of Knee Arthroplasty

Grant supplements the $292 thousand one-year NIH/SBIR grant to develop this indication

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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Endomimetics, the developer of Bionanomatrix™, a peptide-based biomaterial used to promote healing and improve outcomes following medical device implantation and other procedures, announced today the awarding of a $100,000 grant from Innovate Alabama to support research to develop and evaluate the potential of a Bionanomatrix™ formulation to reduce infectious and inflammatory complications that occur following knee replacement. The grant is supplemental to the previously awarded $292 thousand one-year NIH/SBIR grant to support this indication. These grants provide further evidence of the broad utility of the Bionanomatrix™ to improve performance and outcomes of implantable medical devices.

“Our Bionanomatrix™ technology emerged from bioengineering work conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is part of a state-wide effort to foster the continued development of the biomedical industry in Alabama,” said Joseph Garner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Endomimetics. “We are very grateful that Innovate Alabama also sees the value of our platform and its potential to improve patient outcomes following medical device implantation or interventional surgeries. With this grant we continue to focus on the potential of Bionanomatrix™ to improve the success rate for patients needing knee replacements while also advancing the other applications for the platform.”

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects more than 32 million individuals in the United States, causing debilitating joint destruction and chronic joint pain, stiffness, and physical impairment. To restore and improve the patient’s quality of life, total knee arthroplasty is the most common surgical intervention performed for OA to replace the compromised joint with artificial femoral and tibial implants. Knee arthroplasty has led to significant improvement in the quality of life for patients but serious complications such as infection (up to 2% of surgeries; https://doi.org/10.1302%2F2058-5241.1.000032) and arthrofibrosis or abnormal scarring (3-10%; https://doi.org/10.1038/srep16469) can result in implant failure or limited range of movement. Bionanomatrix™ is being investigated in this indication with the objective of reducing the rate of these post-surgical complications.

Research funded by this grant will be added to a Phase I NHI/SBIR grant awarded in November 2023 to support development and evaluation of a multifunctional, nitric oxide (NO) and antibiotic loaded liposomes (ABLipo)-releasing Bionanomatrix™ 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™ technology. The Bionanomatrix™, 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™. 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/.        

About Innovate Alabama
Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at innovatealabama.org.

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

Media Contact:
Burns McClellan
Robert Flamm, Ph.D.
rflamm@burnsmc.com

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