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Artificial bone – from idea and invention to commercialization

Grażyna Ginalska ,  Anna Belcarz 

Medical Inventi LTD Co, Lublin 20-262, Poland
Medical University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry, Chodźki 1, Lublin 20-093, Poland

Abstract

The key point in commercialization of new product is an innovative idea, competitive in relation to available products. It should meet the expectations of final users, entering the niche market. Surgeons seek for new bone-replacing materials of enhanced surgical handiness, facilitating  the manipulations during implantation procedures. This reason is one of the crucial ones for development of composite materials. During the last years, the focus on ceramics has been extended to polymers, either as hydrogels or as polymer composites.
Elastic biphasic bone replacing composite, the property of Medical Inventi Co, belongs to such innovative inventions. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed its surgical handiness, bioactivity and lack of toxicity, ability to repair bone defects in animals. All these properties makes elastic composite promising in a segment of biomaterials for bone repair. The composite and process of its production were patented in Poland and applied for patenting in EPO procedure in 2009-2010.
The idea of the composite commercialization appeared in inventors’ brains. Two women-inventors decided to go beyond their traditional role of academic researcher. Therefore, they publicized their achievements in mass-media. Information concerning the elastic composite evoked the growing interest of potential investors. After several months, the concept of spin-off company appeared as a result of numerous arrangements. In consequence, Medical Inventi, a spin-off limited company, was created in May 2011. Its structure primarily included: two inventors (President and member of Supervisory Board), Medical University of Lublin and private investor. Patents for bioactive composite were contributed in kind to the Company. The initial funds allowed to perform some clinical experiments, concerning implantation of the biomaterial (stomatological or orthopaedic cases) to human patients. The experiments confirmed good results of healing of bone defects filled with elastic composite which was awarded in 2013 on Brussels Innova Exhibition (WIPO award, Grand Prix of Europe France Inventors and gold medal with mention). These promising information initiated the efforts to capitalize Medical Inventi Company. In the first step, some private funds were introduced into the company structure. Next, the company seeks for venture and private funds in amount sufficient for certification and registration of the product in Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. Also, it is planned to launch the low-scale production of bioactive composite in South-Eastern Poland. For this purpose, MI limited company will be soon transformed to a joint-stock company.
Medical Inventi is focused on certification and commercialization of elastic bone-replacing composite. However, its efforts concern also other biomedical products. For this reason, it seeks for partners in a field of scientific studies. It is also open to a cooperation with industrial companies, interested in the expansion of its business activity.

 

Auxiliary resources (full texts, presentations, posters, etc.)
  1. PRESENTATION: Artificial bone - from idea and invention to commercialization, TIFF image data, little-endian, 9MB
 

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Related papers

Presentation: Keynote at Nano PL 2014, Symposium B, by Anna Belcarz
See On-line Journal of Nano PL 2014

Submitted: 2014-07-11 02:32
Revised:   2014-09-12 18:45