NIH Awards Imbed Bio a $326K Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for Developing Antibacterial Wound Dressings
Madison, WI (April 13, 2012)– Imbed Biosciences, Inc., a privately held medical device company developing novel advanced materials for wound healing and surgical applications, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in the amount of $326,489 by the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).During the twelve-month project, titled “Antibacterial molecular coatings pre-fabricated for biologic wound dressings”, Imbed will collaborate with Dr. Jonathan F. McAnulty, DVM, PhD, Professor and Chair of Surgical Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“This award provides important validation and support for our technology to develop next-generation wound dressings for surgical and chronic wounds. It will facilitate our ongoing investment in personnel and research,” said Ankit Agarwal, PhD, President and CEO of Imbed, and the principal investigator on the grant. “We are also extremely excited to collaborate with Dr. McAnulty, a leading researcher and surgeon at one of the world’s premier institutes of veterinary science”.
“Antibacterial nanofilms being developed by Imbed will modify the surfaces of biologic dressings to actively prevent wound infections and promote cellular growth and healing,” said Dr. McAnulty. “I am thrilled to be collaborating with Dr. Agarwal and other researchers at Imbed in investigating the safety and efficacy of these nanofilms in small-animal wound models”.
“Currently available biologic dressings expedite closure of hard-to-heal burns and chronic wounds, but are also associated with a high incidence of wound infections. Imbed’s technology presents the promise to deliver antibacterial biologic dressings desired by clinicians,” said Dr. Michael J. Schurr, MD, a burn and trauma injury surgeon and Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a member of Imbed’s Scientific Advisory Board.
The following researchers will also formally collaborate on the project with Imbed as members of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board:
-Nicholas L. Abbott, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
-Charles J. Czuprynski, PhD, Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
-Dr. Christopher J. Murphy, DVM, PhD, Professor, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.
About Imbed Biosciences:
Imbed Biosciences, Inc, headquartered in Madison, WI, is a privately held medical device company developing novel and patent-pending technologies for imbedding bioactive agents in wound dressings and surgical implants. By leveraging its novel nanofilms platform, Imbed is revolutionizing biologic dressings to prevent wound infections and expedite wound closure, and ideally reduce the overall cost of managing surgical and chronic wounds, which constitutes a $3 billion market opportunity in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.imbedbio.com
Contact Information:
Ankit Agarwal
President and CEO
ankit[at]imbedbio.com