protein polymer technologies PPTI (NASDAQ OTC BB) + JNJ

Bevorstehender Unternehmenstermin

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the link provided from lycos is not correct: must be PPTI on NASDAQ OTC BB
or look at:
www.ppti.com
www.yahoo.com >> finance >> quotes >> PPTI.OB
www. ragingbull.com >> PPTI

JNJ enlarged position in PPTI to a 10% stake.
http://www.alertwizard.com/display.php?link=1975032
(RB PPTI 1001). Revival of urinary incontinence deal with PPTI which was cancelled in 1997 is possible. Given the current market cap of $20 million and the expected market close to a billion $ (together with cosmetic dermal augmentation and other unique biopolymer products) in the next few years (beginning in 2002) this is a great investment idea.

Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company that is engaged in the research, development, production and clinical testing of medical products based on its proprietary protein-based biomaterials technology. Since 1992, the Company has focused primarily on developing materials technology and products to be used in the surgical repair of tissue: surgical adhesives and sealants; soft tissue augmentation products; wound healing matrices; drug delivery formulations; and surgical adhesion barriers. The Company also has developed coating technology that can efficiently modify and improve the surface properties of more traditional biomedical devices. A common goal is to develop materials that beneficially interact with human cells, enabling cell growth and the regeneration of tissues with improved outcomes as compared to current products and practices.

The Company`s technology and materials have the potential to create products and product applications in a variety of medical and specialty use markets. The Company`s current development efforts are focused principally on preparations for scale-up and validation of manufacturing processes for the Company`s hydrogel bulking agents for soft tissue augmentation.

Soft Tissue Augmentation

The Company has developed protein polymers that demonstrate excellent biocompatibility, are soluble in water at room temperature, and are easily injected into body tissues, irreversibly forming soft, durable gels at body temperature. Previously, the Company has shown gels of similar composition to persist at least 18 months in an animal model.

The Company`s bulking agents are unique in that they are applied as an aqueous solution, easily injected through a 30-gauge needle, rapidly spreading throughout the native tissue architecture. With the increase from room to body temperature, the polymer solution irreversibly transforms within minutes to a soft, pliable hydrogel. Importantly, the volume of material remains constant in the liquid to gel transition, such that the tissue expansion observed by the physician upon administration will be subsequently maintained. This is in direct contrast to the majority of competing technologies, which are suspensions or slurries of solid particles in an aqueous carrier such as saline.

In August 1999, the Company obtained the FDA`s approval of its Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to begin human clinical testing of the Company`s urethral bulking agent for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. The Company began pilot clinical testing of the product`s safety and efficacy in December 1999. The Company projects expanding into a multi-site pivotal clinical study in the first quarter of 2002 to the extent resources are available.

In November 2000, the Company obtained the FDA`s approval of its IDE to begin human clinical testing of a tissue augmentation product for use in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery applications. The product is injected into or under the skin for the correction of contour deficiencies (facial lines, wrinkles, scars, etc.) caused by aging or disease. The Company expects to initiate its pilot clinical study for this application in the first quarter of 2001, potentially expanding into a multi-site pivotal clinical study also in the first quarter of 2002 to the extent resources are available.

Surgical Adhesives and Sealants

The Company is seeking to develop surgical adhesives and sealants that combine the biocompatibility of fibrin glues (without the risks associated with use of blood-derived products) with the high strength and fast setting times of cyanoacrylates. Unique features include significant elasticity within the adhesive matrix (to move as tissues move) and the capability of tailoring the resorption rate of the adhesive matrix with the rate at which the wound heals. A non-resorbable adhesive or sealant can only be used where the damaged tissues will not heal. Otherwise, a barrier to wound healing is unavoidably created.

In September 1995, the Company entered into a series of agreements with Ethicon regarding this program. Ethicon elected to terminate these agreements in December 1997. However, the Company had previously demonstrated both the adhesive performance and the biocompatibility of the Company`s product formulations in animal models, including the resorption of the adhesive matrix in conjunction with the progression of wound healing. Subsequently, the Company has worked to determine the specific markets and products providing the most significant opportunities for the use of this adhesive and sealant technology.

As a result of its evaluations of the medical market needs, the properties achievable with its technology, and the capabilities of competitive technologies, the Company has focused its product development interests on certain orthopedic applications, particularly those related to the repair of the spinal disc for the treatment of chronic low back pain. Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal disorder in industrialized societies. The Company is committed to the commercial development of its adhesive and sealant technologies and is seeking to establish new strategic alliances with market leaders.

Wound Healing/Tissue Engineering Matrices

The Company has developed protein polymers which it believes may be useful in the treatment of dermal wounds, particularly chronic wounds such as decubitous ulcers, where both reconstruction of the ECM and re-establishment of its function are desired. These polymers, based on key ECM protein sequence blocks, are biocompatible, fully resorbable and have been processed into gels, sponges, films and fibrous sheets. The Company believes that such materials, if successfully developed, could improve the wound-healing process by providing physical support in situ for cell migration and tissue regeneration and as delivery systems for growth factors. Additionally, such materials may serve as scaffolds for the ex vivo production of living tissue substitutes.

This program is in the early stages of research, which the Company has principally conducted in collaboration with third parties. Such collaborations have primarily focused on the treatment of dermal wounds.

Controlled Release Drug Delivery

The Company`s soft tissue augmentation products, wound healing matrices, and medical device coating technology all provide platforms for drug delivery applications, serving as controlled release drug depots. The protein polymer materials the Company has developed exhibit exceptional biocompatibility, provide for control over rates of resorption, and are fabricated using aqueous solvent systems at ambient temperatures. These are attributes that can be critical in maintaining the activity of the drug, particularly protein-based drugs emerging from the biotechnology industry. This program is in the early stages of research.

Artificial fibrous proteins: a review.

Biochimie 1998 Jan;80(1):19-31 (ISSN: 0300-9084)

Heslot H [Find other articles with this Author]
Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, France.

Several kinds of natural fibrous proteins have been chosen as models: silk fibroin from Bombyx mori, silks from various species of spiders and collagens. The dragline silk of the spider Nephila clavipes is able to stretch by 300% before breaking and has a high tensile strength. It is stronger per unit weight than high tensile steel. Although the partial sequence of the two components of dragline silk is known, its molecular structure is still far from being clearly established. It is however demonstrated that it contains beta-sheet crystals composed of polyalanine residues. Artificial fibrous proteins have been prepared in vivo using either Escherichia coli or the yeast Pichia pastoris. As these proteins contain repetitive sequences, there is a risk of deletion at the DNA level. This difficulty has been solved by making use of the genetic code degeneracy. One group has successfully synthesized silk-like polymers; prolastin polymers containing both silk-like and elastin-like blocks; proNectin polymers containing the RGD triplet coming from fibronectin and able to fix numerous mammalian cell types; and synthetic collagen analogs. Some of these polymers have been spun into fibers that, up-to-now, do not display any measurable molecular orientation. Another group has studied artificial fibrous proteins able to form beta-sheet crystals of defined thickness and bearing functional groups at their surface, for instance Glu residues, selenomethionine or p-fluorophenylalanine. Apart from university laboratories, a venture capital society, an industrial research center and a US army research center are quite active in this field. A number of patents has been deposited.