From medicine to surgical glue, any foreign substance introduced into a patient’s body can cause an allergic reaction. There is a growing market for personalized therapies that incorporate the patient’s own cells into the treatment method. Such individualized treatments are less likely to be rejected by the patient’s system.
One company working in this space is Vivostat A/S. Vivostat is a Danish company that uses the patient’s blood to create a personalized surgical glue (fibrin sealant) or platelet gel that can be used for surgical procedures or the treatment of diabetic ulcers. Blood is drawn from the patient, processed into a fibrin sealant within a centrifuge, and applied to the patient’s wound. Because the glue is derived from the patient’s own blood, there is no risk of allergic reaction or viral transmission. Vivostat CEO Michael Ruge reports that the product has demonstrated the ability to heal chronic diabetic ulcers, open sores or wounds that usually develop on the feet of diabetic patients. Diabetic ulcers are the leading diseased-related cause of lower limb amputations in the U.S.
Vivostat’s system is currently available in Europe, where it is largely used for cardiac and thoracic surgery. The company is preparing to submit an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) product for diabetic ulcers.
In this video, Ruge discusses Vivostat’s system at the 2010 OneMedForum.