Licensing Model Proves to be Winning Approach for DSM PTG

DSM PTG, part of DSM Biomedical, a global leader in biomedical materials science, today announced the company has formed eight new partnerships with medical device companies in the last year alone. These contracts underline an upward trend among medical device developers in enrolling material specialists like DSM PTG to develop and license new polymer technologies essential to increasing the value, performance, and quality of their products.

DSM PTG has demonstrated a successful track record of working with medical device companies to develop new products, focusing on creating novel technologies that will lead to downstream manufacturing opportunities and value share for DSM PTG. In fact, the company signed nine new license agreements in 2009 for its well known  Bionate®, BioSpan®, CarboSil®, Elasthane™ and PurSil® brands of thermoplastic biomaterials.

This model has proved to be very successful for DSM PTG as evidenced by the expansion of the number of licensees of the company’s well-respected line of polyurethane and silicone-polyurethane copolymers.  The company was the first to report the enhanced in vivo stability of silicone polyurethane copolymers, providing medical device companies with these and other high-strength biomedical polymers with an impressive combination of mechanical properties, biostability, and bio-compatibility. Many medical devices and technologies have already benefited from this combination of properties, including prosthetic spinal implants, other orthopedic implants, including arthroplasty for hips and knees, cartilage repair, in addition to cardiovascular and neurostimulation devices.

“Because of today’s economic conditions, medical device manufacturers of all sizes are seeking opportunities to form partnerships from which they will receive the greatest return with the least amount of risk,” said Bob Ward, President and CEO, DSM PTG. “Companies looking to expedite the commercialization of new products trust DSM PTG because of our 20 years’ experience developing solutions for the pharmaceutical, life sciences and medical device industries.”

The company’s scientists work with both start-ups and large medical device manufacturers in the United States and Europe, in various fields including cardiovascular, orthopedic, ophthalmic, wound care and disease prevention and treatment. DSM PTG’s research and development team will work closely with its medical device partners throughout the various phases of development, prototyping, manufacturing and processing of product commercialization as we collectively create specialty polymers for use in the cardiovascular and orthopedic markets. DSM PTG’s quality system is certified to the ISO 9001 and ISO 13845 standards, providing its partners with an expertise in quality and regulatory compliance.

About DSM Biomedical
DSM Biomedical develops novel materials-based solutions to meet the present and future needs of the medical device and biopharmaceutical industries. Building on the expertise and strengths of DSM and its acquisition of The Polymer Technology Group, which is now known as DSM PTG, the company’s product portfolio includes coatings, drug delivery platforms and a wide range of biomedical materials for use in short- and long-term implantable medical devices. Key product brands include Bionate® PCU and CarboSil® TSPCU, two of the most extensively tested biomedical polymers ever developed. Both polymers have excellent biostability, high strength and abrasion resistance, making them candidate materials for load-bearing orthopedic implants.  ComfortCoat™ hydrophilic and antimicrobial coating technology for catheters, guidewires and stent delivery systems; and Dyneema Purity®, a high-performance polyethylene fiber technology developed specifically for use in medical applications, such as orthopedic implants. The company also markets the Trancerta™ family of bioresorbable materials for drug delivery. This portfolio is based on DSM’s core strengths in materials science combined with its extensive in-house library of synthesis methods, formulation and processing techniques. For more information, visit www.dsmbiomedical.com.

DSM – the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates innovative products and services in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences that contribute to the quality of life. DSM’s products and services are used globally in a wide range of markets and applications, supporting a healthier, more sustainable and more enjoyable way of life. End markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM has annual net sales of EUR 9.3 billion and employs some 23,500 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com