Selenium, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company focused on unique solutions to meet antimicrobial coating and therapeutic needs, has been awarded a research grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health. With the $155,387 NIH grant the company will apply its proprietary antimicrobial technology to researching the inhibition of biofilms on tympanostomy tubes. Selenium's SeLECTTM technology addresses the need for a safer, more effective and less costly antimicrobial coating technology that can reduce the risk of bacterial infection.
“The excellent results from Selenium's antimicrobial coating show significant promise in sustained protection of the ear tube surface from infection. An antimicrobial coating that can prevent bacterial colonization on implanted medical devices is a timely, critical breakthrough.”
Selenium, Ltd. President, Kris Looney, said, "This grant is the second one this year we received from the National Institutes of Health. The grants represent important milestones for Selenium confirming the validity and significance of our technology. SeLECT technology holds great potential for numerous medical applications, including improving the safety and efficacy of tympanostomy tubes by inhibiting biofilm formation."
"Keeping the ear free of bacterial contamination and biofilm growth on tympanostomy tubes is very important," explained Dr. John Griswold, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. "The excellent results from Selenium's antimicrobial coating show significant promise in sustained protection of the ear tube surface from infection. An antimicrobial coating that can prevent bacterial colonization on implanted medical devices is a timely, critical breakthrough."