- Regenerative medicine company, Avita Medical (ASX: AVH), will enter into a preclinical trial collaboration with the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine
- The collaboration will explore the potential of a spray-on treatment of genetically modified cells for epidermolysis bullosa
- This group of rare genetic disorders causes the skin to blister easily and can result in chronic wounds or even death
- Shares in the company are up, trading for 57.5 cents at market close
Avita Medical will enter into a preclinical trial collaboration with the Gates Centre for Regenerative Medicine.
The Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) with the Gates Center will explore the potential of a spray-on treatment of genetically modified cells for patients with epidermolysis bullosa, a group of rare genetic disorders.
The disease is caused by a gene mutations and results in severe blistering of the skin. The degree of severity varies between patients but can lead to chronic wounds or even death.
On the other hand, Avita Medical is a regenerative medicine company that specialises in skin, burns and chronic wounds. The company’s exisiting products use the patients’ skin to make a spray-on-skin cell technology.
Currently there are about half a million people affected by epidermolysis bullosa, with the current treatment relying on hard-to-grow skin grafts.
The Gates Center is optimistic about the possible outcome for patients from the collaboration, according to co-principal investigator of the epidermolysis bullosa program, Dr Ganna Bilousova.
“We believe that Spray-On SkinTM Cells technology combined with our genetically corrected cells has the potential to be game changing in the treatment of this disease. This combination could reduce time to treatment, lower manufacturing complexity, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes,” she said.
Under the terms of the SRA, Avita Medical will retain the right to exclusively licence technologies emerging from the partnership.
Avita Medical shares were up after the news, trading for 57.5 cents each at market close.