Spheris Medical, a new subsidiary launched today by San Diego-based Artes Medical, will take Artes’ microsphere technology, currently used to make an anti-wrinkle filler, and apply it to serious medical conditions such as acid reflux, spinal disk repair, sleep apnea, and stress urinary and fecal incontinence.
The new subsidiary expands Artes beyond the dermatology and plastic surgery markets. The company’s main product is ArteFill, a non-resorbable injectable dermal filler for the correction of wrinkles known as smile lines or nasolabial folds. FDA approved in October 2006, ArteFill is a combination of precision-filtered microspheres made from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and purified bovine collagen. PMMA is not absorbed by the body, so the microspheres remain intact beneath the skin creases, providing a permanent structure to support the wrinkle. ArteFill is the only FDA-approved non-resorbable aesthetic injectable implant on the market.
But Artes says this microsphere technology has applications beyond wrinkles — hence, Spheris. Pre-clinical studies have shown the technology effective at bulking of the esophageal and urinary sphincters, which could prove useful in treating acid reflux and stress urinary incontinence. The technology also has been evaluated for spinal disk bulking and repair. Additional potential uses include bulking of the soft palate and respiratory tissue to treat sleep apnea, adding cushioning to the bottom of the foot to treat painful foot syndrome, and treating fecal incontinence.