A Medical Device Daily

Coloplast (Minneapolis) reported signing an agreement with Carbon Medical Technologies (St. Paul, Minnesota) giving Coloplast exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Carbon Medical's Durasphere EXP injectable bulking agent and its new needle delivery system. The bulking agent will be available from Coloplast beginning in June.

Durasphere EXP injectable bulking agent is composed of pyrolytic carbon coated beads suspended in a water-based carrier gel. Durasphere EXP is indicated for the treatment of adult women with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) due to intrinsic sphinteric deficiency. The material is injected sub-mucosally at the bladder neck in order to create increased tissue bulk and subsequent coaption of the bladder neck and/or the urethra.

Injectable urethral bulking agents offer an alternative to surgical approaches for the relief of SUI and its debilitating symptoms. In the U.S., more than 15 million women are estimated to suffer from SUI, the number is projected to increase based on the demographics of aging.

Jan Rolin Frederiksen, president of Coloplast USA, said, "Durasphere EXP is a natural strategic extension of our growing Women's Health franchise… . Additionally, Carbon Medical Technologies' new needle design overcomes many of the delivery challenges previously experienced with bulking agents — potentially setting a new standard in injectable procedure reproducibility."

Coloplast manufactures devices and develops ostomy care products, urology and continence care products and products for wound and skin care.

In other agreements news: Nano-Terra (Cambridge, Massachusetts) reported a multi-year development and licensing agreement with 3M (St. Paul, Minnesota)

The agreement is designed to bring to market nanotechnology-based products and solutions via the nano-scale, molecular fabrication methods pioneered by Whitesides and the scientists at Nano-Terra. The company's methods are used to fabricate advanced materials and devices that enhance existing products or create new products in a range of areas, including smart materials and surfaces, flexible electronics such as displays and electronic packaging, fuel cells, batteries and solar power devices, sensors, industrial products and processes, and a range of consumer goods.

Nano-Terra is developing applications of nano- and micro-technologies developed by its co-founder Dr. George Whitesides at his Whitesides Lab at Harvard University (Cambridge). The co-development work will be performed primarily at Nano-Terra's facilities, with input and milestone reviews by 3M.

Nano-Terra reports having exclusive licenses to more than 50 patents on work done by Whitesides, the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor.