The SpheriTech new and innovative wound healing platform is based on the proprietary SpheriTech biopolymer, Proliferate®.

the Proliferate family of synthetic biopolymers has a wide range of applications within the life science and healthcare industries, however our early focus is wound healing with Proliferex® being our flagship product specifically developed to replace animal-derived collagen for the treatment of intractable wounds.

It is well recognised that the most effective wound dressings on the market for treatment of complex wounds are collagen-based products. Of the top twelve collagen products currently on the market, ten contain collagen from either porcine, equine or bovine origin, and two contain collagen from donated human skin.

Production processes utilising animal collagen are complex, slow, and expensive. Additionally these dressings are frequently rejected by patients on religious, ethical and moral grounds. In major cities in the UK alone, several clinicians state that “more than 50% of patients refuse dressings due to the animal-based components”. Consequently, there is a commercial opportunity for an effective collagen replacement for use in wound dressing applications. SpheriTech has developed that replacement!

The synthetic biopolymers (Proliferate® family) are made from readily available fatty acids and amino acids, manufactured in water, then freeze dried. The basic Proliferate® polymer is:

• not animal derived
• not cytotoxic
• inherently antimicrobial
• biocompatible and supports mammalian cell proliferation
• biodegradable
• simple and composed of materials from large scale renewable resources

Protected by the SpheriTech IP portfolio SpheriTech is now developing this innovative biopolymer into a family of wound dressings (Proliferex® family), which have been shown to:

• be compatible with exposed tissue
• encourage healing
• disrupt microbial biofilms
• act as a biocide

The Proliferex® matrix has the potential to compete with or to replace animal-derived collagen-based dressings. As a synthetic biopolymer manufactured from non-animal derived, renewable resources, Proliferex® does not suffer from moral, ethical and religious sensitivities encountered with animal-derived dressings.

The Proliferate® biopolymer also allows for surface modification by covalent or ionic attachment of chemical entities thereby leading to new and speciality focused versions of Proliferex®. Such derivatives are already commonplace in wound management and are inevitably part of programmes in regenerative medicine.

In addition to intractable wound management, a significant number of future product development and commercialisation opportunities have already been identified and are actively being pursued.

These include:

• ophthalmic
• regenerative
• orthopaedic
• pharmaceutical
• veterinary
• biocide and personal care products