Ceremed awarded NIH SBIR grant to develop soluble carrier for topical delivery of antibiotic Vancomycin

Ceremed, Inc. was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, the company's third in a series of grants from the National Institutes of Health to develop a versatile soluble carrier with bone hemostatic properties for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents directly to surgical sites. The recently awarded grant will aid Ceremed in its effort to develop a soluble carrier to topically deliver the antibiotic Vancomycin.

Topical delivery of therapeutics is a valuable tool in securing better patient outcomes, particularly in many common cardiac, orthopedic, spinal, and neurosurgical procedures. Ceremed's anhydrous, soluble, and highly malleable carrier is made of proprietary AOC® material. Applied to cut bone, the AOC® carrier will control bleeding and release therapeutic agents as it dissolves without compromising the healing process.

The AOC® formulation with Vancomycin, in combination with a carrier for the antibiotic Gentamicin, under development thanks to an earlier NIH grant, will target both susceptible and methycillin-resistant (MRSA) organisms to help prevent post operative infections, reduce the cost of potentially preventable complications, and improve patient outcomes across surgical fields. The third grant in the series was awarded for the development of an AOC® carrier for DBM. AOC® with DBM allows for stable delivery of bone growth factors directly to the bone, strengthens bone fusion, and promotes significantly earlier onset of healing and postoperative recovery without increased risk of complications.

"Utilizing the AOC® material for delivery of therapeutics has great potential to continue improving patient outcomes across surgical fields," said Ceremed's Chairman Tadeusz Wellisz, MD. "Ceremed has experienced success in developing soluble carriers for DBM and Gentamicin, and we look forward to continued success in the development of AOC® Vancomycin."