Semprus Receives Grant to Develop Biofilm-Resistant Orthopedic Devices for Armed Forces

Semprus BioSciences has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Army Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) to develop the world’s first orthopedic devices designed to reduce biofilm formation, which is responsible for most bacterial complications associated with medical device implants. Semprus presented its initial findings in a poster session at the recent Advanced Technology Applications for Combat Casualty Care (ATACCC) military trauma conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Semprus BioSciences is a venture-funded biomedical company in Cambridge, Mass. The firm has developed proprietary technology to organize, manage and harness water molecules on a medical device surface. This system creates what the company terms a “highly non-fouling performance” that is intended to reduce the attachment of proteins, cells, bacteria and other biological matter.

According to Semprus executives, the company’s technology can reduce the 56,000 preventable annual U.S. deaths and $11.2 billion cost of infection and thrombus-related complications that often arise when medical devices are implanted in the body.

Gunshot wounds, blast injuries and landmine explosions cause the majority of battlefield wounds to American soldiers. Between 60-70 percent of soldiers who are wounded suffer from orthopedic injuries, which lead to significant morbidity and failure to return to duty. If a bone fracture becomes infected, the patient requires a prolonged course of treatment that can require multiple surgical procedures, long-term antibiotic care and even amputation. Each year, orthopedic device infections cost the U.S. nearly $2 billion and 11,000 deaths, according to the Journal of Wound Care.

Joseph Wenke, Ph.D., an expert on improving outcomes for open fractures at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, is leading this collaborative effort.

“I look forward to working with Semprus to help resolve a critical issue affecting our wounded warriors,” Wenke said. “We are hopeful that our collaboration with Semprus will yield new orthopedic products that will greatly reduce complications associated with these injuries, and the costs to treat them.”

Semprus BioSciences’ chief technology officer Christopher Loose, Ph.D., is coordinating the research and development to bring technology to the clinic on intramedullary nails. The scope of the work performed in this collaborative effort will focus on adapting the technology to orthopedic substrates, including titanium. According to Loose, Semprus’ Technology has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for soldiers who suffer from extremity trauma.

“Our goal is to dramatically reduce complication rates in orthopedic devices implanted in our men and women in the armed forces,” he said. “We expect our technology to reduce wound complications, amputation and mortality in soldiers with orthopedic injuries.”

Loose added that the benefits of the technology in development would be particularly relevant to military personnel, including: Long-term antimicrobial activity for the multiple months required for fracture healing, as opposed to “slow release” technologies that utilize a drug reservoir with a limited inherent lifespan (one-two weeks); broad spectrum activity against all of the pathogens commonly found on the battlefield, including A. baumannii; and minimal drug resistance because these chemistries use non-specific mechanisms to reduce biofilm formation.

“With widespread use across the military in different combat environments, fracture fixation devices are undoubtedly a permanent aspect of battlefield care,” said Semprus CEO David L. Lucchino, “The reduction of associated infections is critical to streamline the treatment process and minimize recovery time.”

Lucchino added that his firm’s process also can be applied to other orthopedic devices, including external fixation systems, screws and plates.

Semprus BioSciences is venture-backed biomedical company. In December 2010, the company completed an $18 million Series B financing co-led by SR One, the corporate venture capital arm of GlaxoSmithKline, and Foundation Medical Partners, a national healthcare venture capital investment firm with a strategic relationship with Cleveland Clinic. Combined with previous financing rounds, Semprus has raised a total of $28.5 million in equity.