Sulzer Medica to License and Distribute Tutogen's Bone Tissue For Dental Applications
WINTERTHUR, Switzerland, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Sulzer Medica (NYSE: SM; Switzerland: SMEN) today announced that its dental business unit, Sulzer Calcitek Inc., has signed an agreement with Tutogen Medical, Inc., based in Clifton, NJ, for the license, development and distribution of bone tissue for dental applications. Tutogen will receive milestone payments up to USD 1 million. The initial term of the agreement is 10 years.
Sulzer Calcitek Inc. will develop, license and distribute the bone tissue for a variety of the treatments of bone loss. Generally, bone tissue is used to restore the patient's jaw bone, which has retreated due to periodontal diseases. In many cases repair is done by using autograft, bone harvested from the patient. Tutogen's bone tissue may thus serve an alternative to autograft. The tissue is obtained from animal (xenograft) or human donor bone (allograft), which is treated with Tutogen's proprietary Tutoplast(R) process resulting in a sterile and antigenically inactive bone tissue that is mechanically sound and ideally suited to provide a scaffold on which the patient's body can build new bone tissue. Unlike other dental bone grafting products, the natural collagen content of the native bone is retained during the Tutoplast process.
Sulzer Calcitek estimates the worldwide oral and periodontal bone graft market has a size of approximately USD 70 million. The market is growing at a rate of 10% annually.
Tutogen will receive USD 1 million from Sulzer Cacitek for the joint development and licensing of processed tissue for dental applications and the worldwide distribution rights for Tutoplast processed allograft and xenoplast bone tissue. Part of the payment is contingent upon first delivery of the product in Western Europe and upon issuance of a FDA 510(k) clearance for commercial sales of the xenoplast product in the USA.
Steven Hanson, President of Sulzer Calcitek, commented: "The opportunities available now and in the future for the adoption of bioimplants as the material of choice for bone repair are great. Our choice of partnering with Tutogen reflects our view that their patented Tutoplast(R) process for xenografts and allografts is the safest and best available."
Manfred Kruger, President and CEO of Tutogen, commented: "The agreement forms a crucial part of our business plan whose goal is for Tutogen to become a world leader in the bioimplant industry. The commitment of Sulzer Medica to develop and bring biotechnology products to the market will greatly enhance and accelerate the achievement of Tutogen's goals." |
