Orthovita, Aastrom Biosciences collaborate for orthopedic products

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., March 20 - Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. and Orthovita, Inc. have agreed to develop products for the orthopedics market using Orthovita's synthetic ceramic matrices and ceramic-collagen matrices (Vitross) and Aastrom's proprietary bone marrow-derived cells, tissue repair cells (TRCs).

Negotiations and planning for the expansion of this collaboration will be finalized during 2006, according to a news release.

Orthovita's Vitoss scaffolds are marketed specifically for the purpose of providing non-load bearing geometric support during new tissue growth, the release said.

Aastrom's TRCs, a mixture of stem, stromal and progenitor cells produced from the patient's own bone marrow, are being used in phase 1/2 clinical trials, which are evaluating the regeneration of new bone and blood vessels in patients.

"Autologous TRCs and Vitoss are two clinic-ready technologies that potentially represent a major step toward the future for combinations of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell and biomaterial-driven therapies for orthopedic and spine treatments," Orthovita president and chief executive officer Antony Koblish said in a statement.

The companies did not disclose additional terms of this collaboration.

Aastrom Biosciences develops products for the repair or regeneration of multiple human tissues. The company is based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Orthovita is a biomaterials company that develops synthetic, biologically active tissue engineering products for orthopedic and neurosurgical applications. The company is based in Malvern, Pa.

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