Stratasys
The new bioprinter, based on Stratasys’ precise P3 3D printing technology in combination with CollPlant's flagship bioinks, will enable the production of CollPlant’s state of the art breast implants.
Stratasys has announced a joint development and commercialisation agreement with CollPlant Biotechnologies focused on the biofabrication of human tissues and organs.
The collaboration will see the combination of a bioprinter based on Stratasys’ Programmable Photopolymerisation (P3) technology and CollPlant’s rhCollagen-based bioinks. A first project, focusing on the development of an industrial-scale solution for CollPlant’s regenerative breast implants program, has also been announced.
Deploying Stratasys’ new bioprinting system and CollPlant’s flagship bioinks, state of the art breast implants designed to regenerate an individual’s natural breast tissue without eliciting immune response will be developed. The resulting product promises to be a potentially revolutionary alternative for both aesthetic and reconstructive procedures, per the two companies.
Breast reconstruction and augmentation procedures are the second most common plastic surgery procedure performed worldwide today, according to an ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures published in 2021. Earlier this year, CollPlant announced it had successfully completed a large animal study for its 3D bioprinted regenerative breast implants, which demonstrated progressive stages of tissue regeneration through the formation of maturing connective tissue and neovascular networks within the implants after three months. No adverse events were reported.
Via the joint development and commercialisation agreement, Stratasys and CollPlant will cross-promote each other’s bioprinting products and offer printer and ink packages to their customer bases. CollPlant is also planning to initiate a follow-up large animal study for the second half of 2023 using commercial-size implants to support subsequent human studies and future product commercialisation.
“Through this partnership with CollPlant, we have an important opportunity to transform healthcare with bioprinting to improve the lives of patients undergoing breast augmentation or reconstruction procedures,” commented Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “This agreement is well-aligned with our strategy to deliver complete solutions for high-growth industry applications with our ecosystem of partners, and the production scale and precision 3D printing capabilities of Stratasys’ P3 Programmable Photopolymerisation technology are a particularly strong fit for bioprinting applications. We believe that partnering with CollPlant will enable us to accelerate the industrialisation of bioprinting for regenerative medicine, and we look forward to collaborating towards the successful commercialisation of CollPlant’s novel regenerative breast implants and beyond.”
Yehiel Tal, CEO of CollPlant, added: “Stratasys is leading in additive manufacturing and we are excited to collaborate with them on this transformative initiative. The P3 technology allows printing with high resolution and process control, and we believe that the combined, pioneering technologies of both companies will streamline the development and production process so that we have the most efficient means to produce our regenerative breast implants and other potential tissues and organs. We believe that our rhCollagen-based regenerative implant has the potential to overcome the challenges of existing breast procedures that use silicone implants or autologous fat tissue transfer.”
