Garwood Medical Devices, Buffalo, New York, signed a memorandum of understanding with Integrum AB, Mölndal, Sweden, to explore a collaboration aimed at expanding treatment indications for Integrum’s Osseoanchored Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees (OPRA) Implant System.
The joint research activities will use Garwood Medical’s BioPrax technology that is intended to eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilm infections associated with prosthetic implants. Rickard Brånemark, MD, PhD, Integrum’s founder and chairman, is also an investor in Garwood Medical Devices in his capacity as an individual.
“As an orthopedic surgeon, I am all too familiar with the devastating results of implant-associated infections,” said Brånemark. “I believe 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.”
BioPrax was accepted into the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Breakthrough Device Program in 2019, a milestone on the path to market acceptance and widespread use as soon as 2025. BioPrax 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 undergoing pre-clinical trials.
