The developer of gene-activated materials, Histograft biotech company, a part of the Artgen Biotech group (MOEX: ABIO), has received a US patent protecting the composition and manufacturing technology of the Histograft gene-activated material for bone grafting.
Histograft is intended for bone tissue regeneration. It became the first product in this class in the world which is approved for clinical use. The material is octacalcium phosphate-based granules coated with plasmid DNA molecules containing the gene for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key protein produced by cells to stimulate the growth of blood vessels. The granules serve as a matrix for the formation of bone tissue, and DNA enhances blood supply and regeneration of bone tissue in the surgical area. The material simplifies bone grafting, minimizes the use of the patient’s own bone tissue, and takes treatment results to a whole new level.
Ilya Bozo, Director of Histograft: “This patent is extremely important as it protects the key compositions of solid gene-activated materials of Histograft and their manufacturing technologies. In the American version of the patent, the claims of the invention had to be somewhat narrowed compared to the Russian version, however, the main aspects were protected. The patent can be used to license the technology abroad.”
“Patenting developments in Russia and in foreign markets is an integral part of the ecosystem and strategy of Artgen Biotech for the development of new products,” Sergey Masyuk, Artgen Biotech CEO, noted.
The patent protects not only the Histograft already on the market, but also a number of other company products that are currently being registered. For example, Xeno-Bone, a material based on xenogeneic bone matrix and plasmid DNA with the VEGF gene for “building up” jaw bone tissue before installing dental implants, as well as for replacing skeletal bone defects in traumatology and orthopedics.
Histograft is a Skolkovo resident, a pioneer in the gene-activated materials development and introduction into clinical practice for the regeneration of “hard” and “soft” tissues. The company has created a unique technological platform, on the basis of which it is developing a line of implantable medical devices in various forms (granules, gels, membranes, personalized implants), consisting of biocompatible materials and nucleic acid molecules - “matrices” for temporary synthesis of therapeutic protein indicated for the regeneration of various tissues. Gene-activated matrices are an innovative scientific and technical direction developed and introduced into clinical practice for the first time in the world by the Histograft team together with Artgen Biotech and the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The company's first product, Histograft, has been used in clinical practice since 2020; to date, more than 4,000 patients have been treated. The company is currently working on a research on the use of Histograft in various areas of surgery.
In 2023, Histograft began clinical studies of gene-activated osteoplastic material for the treatment of patients with degenerative diseases of the spine.
In 2024, Artgen Biotech entered into an investment agreement with the Histograft company. According to this agreement, it will invest in the development of 5 new medical products for tissue engineering, and the consolidated share of the Artgen Biotech group in Histograft will increase to 64%.