AlloSource enters into licensing agreement with Keratec Limited to add enhanced DBM putty product to line-up

November 5, 2007  (CENTENNIAL, CO) – AlloSource, one of the nation's largest non-profit providers of skin, bone and soft tissue allografts for use in surgical procedures, announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Keratec Limited of New Zealand. Under the agreement, Keratec and AlloSource will jointly develop a next-generation DBM putty utilizing Keratec's proprietary Keragraft technology. Keragraft is an optimal carrier in combination with DBM and initial studies demonstrate superior bone growth characteristics.

 

Development and market approvals from FDA are expected to take 6 to 9 months and AlloSource plans to have the new product available in Q3 of 2008.

 

"Adding this product to our offering fills out the continuum of bone growth substitutes that AlloSource
offers, " said Kevin Cmunt, AlloSource Executive Vice President. "We believe the combination of allograft tissue and Keragraft will produce superior bone healing products, giving patients impressive results leading to quicker recovery times and the reduction of additional treatment needs. "

 

The Keragraft bone healing products use the same technology as Keratec's Functional Keratin range of medical and personal care technologies. The technology extracts natural keratin, a main constituent in skin and hair, from New Zealand wool in a form that uniquely preserves its natural biological function of promoting cell strength and recovery. Keragraft materials, which are part of the Functional Keratin range, provide surgeons with a new level of versatility in filling bone cavities following procedures such as the removal of bone cancer or a hip replacement and have been shown to speed recovery.