Integrum and Garwood Medical Devices Discuss Commercial Collaboration to Conduct Joint Research to Expand Treatment Indications for the OPRA™ Implant System.
Integrum AB (Nasdaq First North Growth Market: INTEG B), a worldwide leader in helping individuals with amputations improve their quality of life through Integrum’s OPRA™ Implant System, have signed a memorandum of understanding with Garwood Medical Devices, LLC, an emerging Buffalo-based company developing groundbreaking BioPrax™ technology, which eliminates antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilm infections associated with implants. The intent is to explore a collaboration aimed at expanding treatment indications for the OPRA™ Implant System.
Integrum Founder and Chairman, Dr. Rickard Brånemark, and Garwood President/CEO Wayne Bacon, announced the intent to conduct joint research activities on the use of Garwood’s BioPrax™ technology in relation to Integrum’s bone-anchored prostheses system for amputees. The OPRA™ Implant System has been used in more than 500 surgeries, including those taking place at Walter Reed Hospital, in the treatment of many U.S. military veterans who became injured in combat.
This innovative method, which is based on osseointegration – through which the prostheses are directly attached to the bone – provides a beneficial alternative to the traditional socket prosthesis. Dr. Brånemark, in his capacity as an individual, is also an investor in Garwood Medical Devices, LLC.
As with any implant, infections can occur. Although rare, these infections can be devastating to the patient and costly for the overall health care system, with few effective treatment options. “As an orthopedic surgeon, I am all too familiar with the devastating results of implant associated infections,” said Brånemark. “I believe the Garwood Medical’s BioPrax technology could be transformational in changing patient treatments and outcomes for any implant. For Integrum, I see an additional potential using this technology to expand the indications for use of the OPRA™ Implant System to treat amputees who are more prone to infections; such as those with certain comorbidities and the elderly.”
“We are excited to announce this alliance with Integrum, which offers obvious benefits for both companies and most importantly, for patients,” remarked Bacon. “We will benefit tremendously from Dr. Brånemark’s long experience as an orthopaedic surgeon, researcher and inventor and at the same time, collaborate to research yet another valuable application for our BioPrax™ implant biofilm infection control technology.”
Garwood Medical’s BioPrax™ device is under investigation to study the elimination of biofilm infections on prosthetic knee implants during early intervention procedures and used alongside the current standard of care. It is currently in pre-clinical trials at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine.
BioPrax™ was accepted into the FDA’s Breakthrough Device Program in October 2019, an important milestone on the path to market acceptance.
For more information, visit the Garwood Medical Devices or Integrum websites.
Media Contacts:
Maria Lopez, CEO
Cell: +46 (0) 708-46 10 69
Email: maria.lopez@integrum.se
Shannon Specht, Public Relations Manager
Cell: +1 (716) 913 – 5071