MIV Therapeutics Wins Award For Advanced Medical Coatings
Palo Alto, CA - Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Advanced Coatings for Medical Devices and Drug Delivery, selected MIV Therapeutics Inc. as the recipient of the 2005 Technology Innovation Award for developing and commercializing the next generation of biocompatible coatings for stents and other medical devices.
Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company (or individual) that has carried out new research; which has resulted in innovation(s) that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. The award recognizes the quality and depth of a company's research and development program, as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.
"MIVT's biocompatible coating technologies are making stents safer as they are non-toxic and do not induce thrombogenicity, allergic, or inflammatory reactions," says Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Anil Naidu. "The company's pioneering Hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings enable the surface of metallic stents to virtually mimic the natural state of structurally-sound 100 percent biocompatible and bio-active tissue."
A majority of currently available drug eluting stents utilize anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory drugs embedded in a polymer matrix to prevent the problem of restenosis, which is a common complication seen with bare metal stents. Studies on bare metal stents made up of stainless steel have confirmed that the release of metal ions, such as nickel and chromium, may initiate allergic reactions or inflammatory response. This in turn may lead to restenosis (re-blocking of the arteries following angioplasty) or thrombosis (blood clotting).
To address such problems, researchers are developing coatings with improved biocompatibility that do not leach metal ions into neighboring tissues. MIVT has adopted two distinctive routes for fabricating 'nature made' coatings for stents. The first approach is a 100 percent synthetic HAp in the form of ultra-thin (sub-micron) coating and the second approach is a HAp combined with bio-polymer, for increased toughness and desired, long term/small dose drug delivery characteristics offered by the thicker coatings.
HAp resembles the human bone and is utilized on cardiovascular stents to prevent blockage of arteries due to coronary artery disease (CAD). Research has indicated that MIVT's coatings do not trigger a variety of the adverse and inflammatory reactions that are associated with products available currently, and potentially help reduce restenosis and, in particular, reduce the risk of thrombogenic events attributable in some instances to polymer-coated stents.
For coating its drug-eluting HAp-based stents, MIVT employs electrostatic-assisted deposition techniques of ceramic and the polymer through either co-deposition or post impregnation. These techniques help in the uniform deposition of composite HAp films on even complex shaped stents and assure uniform and homogenous inter-penetration of the ceramic and the bio-polymer phases. Moreover, the composite character of MIVT's HAp coating allows for the inclusion of pre-determined amounts of drug in the micropores of the coating while maintaining its mechanical robustness.
"MIVT's proprietary, patented coating not only has superior biocompatibility, but may also prove to have drug-eluting characteristics that will be more advantageous than those of polymer coatings currently available in the market," notes Naidu. "HAp is expected to stay on the stent surface for prolonged periods of time more than one year or, alternatively, can dissolve gradually within 3-12 months."
MIVT's HAp coatings are entirely biocompatible and promote tissue healing while demonstrating the optimal growth of endothelium. The company's development of such a breakthrough in advanced biocompatible medical coatings for stents and other medical devices has been recognized with Frost & Sullivan's prestigious Award for Technology Innovation.
SOURCE: Frost & Sullivan