May 9 — Brookwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Targeted Technology Ventures LLC have announced the creation of a collaborative joint venture — Aeon Bioscience, Inc. — a company that will work to develop a new drug-eluting stent to overcome the current concerns of late stent thrombosis (LST) or blood clot formation at or near the site of the stent and vessel closure due to formation of scar tissue, known as restenosis.
"The drug-eluting stent (DES) market suffered a setback in September 2006 when, during the World Congress of Cardiology meeting held in Barcelona, Spain, data was presented identifying a concern over the long term safety of DES, specifically LST," said Christopher E. Banas, principal, Targeted Technology, who will serve as CEO of Aeon. "This safety issue provides an immediate need to develop a solution to the LST problem. As a result, Aeon will focus on the development of a more effective polymeric coating in order to improve the safety profile of DES. This will ultimately result in an improvement in the quality of life for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease."
Aeon Bioscience will be headquartered in Birmingham, AL.
The combined strengths of the two parent companies give Aeon a strong development team with a proven track record in biodegradable materials, drug delivery, vascular stent engineering, clinical testing and regulatory registrations. Brookwood and Targeted Technology also bring strong skills in management of intellectual property portfolios and access to recognized scientific and medical leaders. Additional collaborators will be added as Aeon's technology platforms make progress.
"Aeon Bioscience is uniquely positioned in the race to develop new drug-eluting polymers with the biocompatibility and biological performance necessary to meet the stringent demands of the next generation of coronary stents and cardiovascular implants," said Dr. Paul Castella, principal, Targeted Technology, who will serve as Aeon's Chief Business Officer.
For more information visit www.brookwoodpharma.com.