A Texas startup whose products could someday take on the likes of Genzyme, Ethicon and Baxter in the adhesion barrier market has collected a $525,000 equity investment from three investors, according to a new regulatory filing.
Austin-based Alafair Biosciences could continue raising another $125,000, according to the filing.
Sometimes, after surgery, fibrous bands can form between tissues that aren’t normally connected. That’s called adhesion, and it’s a complication that can cause pain, infection, and loss of function, especially in abdominal and pelvic surgeries.
Alafair is developing a new material to keep tissues and organs separate while they heal. The product is a film created from naturally occurring sugar molecules that are well-established in wound healing and adhesion, the company says.
A class of products called adhesion barriers exists, but these products are challenged by the wet, living environment that is the inside of the body. Alafair says its product is similar to Genzyme’s Seprafilm, the leading product on the market, but has much better handling characteristics and is more robust, elastic and conformable than existing products.
Milennium Research Group forecasts the U.S. market for tissue sealants and adhesion barriers will grow through 2021, fueled by the highly anticipated launch of gel-based products.
According to the company’s website, it’s currently conducting pilot animal studies and developing additional product formulations. It’s also exploring the European and FDA regulatory pathways for its product, the site says. A company rep couldn’t be reached by email.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Formed in 2011 with technology licensed from the University of Texas, Alafair is headed up by Texas neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Peterson, a former chief of staff at Brackenridge Hospital. So far it’s been funded by research grants including a $104,000 SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health.
