Press Release

Berkeley CA, US, 14 Sep 2010 15:15 CEST

Multi-year supply agreement allows continued commercial and clinical success of Elaspine™ implant system made with proprietary DSM Biomedical polymers.

DSM Biomedical, a global leader in biomedical materials science, and its Berkeley based operation, DSM PTG, today announced the company has extended its partnership with Spinelab Ltd., a privately held company specialized in developing a dynamic stabilization system for the spine. Spinelab’s Elaspine Implant System, a pedicle-screw based posterior motion preservation system for the degenerative lumbar spine, uses Bionate^® PCU, which is a proprietary DSM Biomedical polymer with optional built-in surface modification, designed for chronic implants and extensively used in orthopedic applications for its tough, load bearing qualities. The implant system also marks the first clinical use of a PCU-only posterior rod. With the use of this advanced technology, the viscoelastic material properties of the polymer rod allows the system to act comparably to a damper thus enhancing stability and reducing the effects of peak loads.

Bionate PCU has been a key material used by Spinelab in their core product Elaspine, which is designed to reduce pain for patients while still allowing limited range of motion in the spinal column. Introduced in 2009, Elaspine has experienced success with Spinelab customers, having most recently completed one-year performance assessment with its first patients.

“Continuing to evolve our relationship with DSM Biomedical puts us in a unique position to leverage the impressive track record of their suite of biomedical materials” said Thomas Zehnder, president and CEO, Spinelab. “We selected Bionate PCU for its long and successful clinical track record. Working with a proven, unmatched implantable material for our spinal applications allows Spinelab to focus on delivering the desired biomechanics to ensure implant performance for our esteemed customers.”

“The opportunity to continue manufacturing and supplying Bionate PCU to Spinelab is a catalyst in growing our product sales and validates our mission to focus on growth by leveraging proprietary biomaterials technology and capabilities,” said Rob Evans, vice president of Global Marketing and Sales, DSM PTG.

About Spinelab

Spinelab’s core product is a next generation dynamic stabilization system for the spine, which is marketed under the name Elaspine. The system is unique in having a simple approach to establish consistent biomechanical conditions. Spinelab’s patents cover a wide range of design options including minimally invasive approaches. Spinelab has a certified quality management system according to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003. Click here for more information about Spinelab.