Madison, WI (Jan 1, 2014)– Imbed Biosciences, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a $150K competitive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant from National Science Foundation (NSF). During the 6-month project titled, “Antimicrobial and antibiofilm microfilm wound dressings”, the company will develop micrometer-thick polymeric wound dressings that contain antibiofilm agent gallium and antimicrobial agent silver, and investigate their synergistic effect against microbial proliferation.
Ankit Agarwal, PhD, Founder/CEO of Imbed and the Principal Investigator on the grant, said, “we are very excited to receive this NSF award as validation of our innovative technology to develop unique antibiofilm wound dressings and the market demand for improved formulations to prevent wound infections in burns and chronic ulcers. These funds will support our ongoing investment in company’s patent-pending technology and personnel to bring unique microfilm wound dressings into clinics”.
The company is collaborating with Prof. Charles J. Czuprysnki, PhD in the Department of Pathobiology at School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Antimicrobial experiments will be conducted in BSL-2 certified laboratories of Prof. Czuprynski as part of a subcontract under this award.
Successful completion of this Phase 1 project will provide microfilm dressings suitable for tests in porcine wounds in Phase II, required for regulatory clearance for their use in human patients. “Emerging fundamental concepts of managing wound surface infections would be generalizable to various clinical procedures where microbial colonization is a serious problem, such as hernia surgeries or gastro-intestinal defects, promising a broad clinical, social and economic impact”, said Agarwal.
About Imbed Biosciences
Imbed Biosciences Inc. is a privately held medical device company located in Madison, WI, developing advanced materials for wound healing and surgical applications. Company has patent-pending technologies on polymeric nanofilms and microfilms for delivering tailored loadings bioactive molecules on tissue surfaces. Company’s vision is to develop next-generation surgical devices that can reduce patient pain and overall treatment costs, including antimicrobial dressings for dermal wounds, hernia surgical meshes, barrier films for gastro-intestinal defects, and dural membranes. Company’s first family of products is targeted for the $1.5B global antimicrobial wound dressings market.
Contact Information
Ankit Agarwal
President and CEO
ankit@imbedbio.com