Bone Therapeutics and Kasios Collaborate on Spinal Fusion Product

Bone Therapeutics and Kasios are collaborating on a new product for spinal fusion procedures.

The two-year collaboration combines Bone Therapeutics’ allogeneic osteoblastic cell therapy product ALLOB with Kasios’s synthetic micro-granules bone substitute. The project is subsidized by the government of the Walloon Region in Belgium.

Bone Therapeutics and Kasios claim the combined product offering will create a new approach to spine fusion, where previous methods have failed to provide the three essential properties required for bone formation: osteoconduction, when bone graft material serves as a support for new bone growth; osteoinduction, in which immature cells are recruited and stimulated to develop into bone-forming cells or “osteoblasts” and osteogenesis, the production of new bone. Bone Therapeutics’ allogeneic osteoblastic cell therapy product ALLOB has shown bone-forming properties including osteoinduction and osteogenicity, as well as excellent safety and efficacy in preclinical studies.

Combining Bone Therapeutics’ ALLOB cells with KasiosTCP’s osteoconductive micro-granules potentially could enhance 3-D growth and bone growth in spine fusion, bringing advantages in stability and structure, the companies said in a news release. Osteoconduction is particularly key in spine fusion procedures, where larger fracture areas create a need for more structural support.

“We are excited by the collaboration with Kasios which positions both companies at the forefront of development into a new approach to spine fusion,” said Bone Therapeutics CEOEnrico Bastianelli. “We look forward to what we hope will be a very fruitful collaboration as we seek to advance solutions for spine fusion.”

A number of methods have been developed and proposed to promote spinal fusion, such as ceramics, cadaver bones, osteoinductive growth factors or undifferentiated stem cells. However, non-union of bone and persistent pain following spinal fusion intervention is still common, so further improvements in the procedure that improve safety and efficacy still are needed.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with Bone Therapeutics and we believe there are significant synergies between our approaches. By combining our bone substitute with ALLOB, we aim to benefit from increased bone regeneration efficacy, while our technology provides superior 3-D support for new bone formation,” Kasios CEO Nicolas Guéna said.

ALLOB is a first-in-class allogeneic osteoblastic cell product with regenerative properties, developed for the treatment of bone diseases. “Allogeneic” means that the cells are harvested from a healthy, universal donor, as opposed to “autologous” where the cells come from the patient him/herself. ALLOB currently is tested in two Phase I/IIa clinical trials for the treatment of delayed union fractures and lumbar fusion for degenerative disease of the spine. ALLOB also potentially can be administered systemically to treat orthopaedic conditions such as osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare genetic bone disease characterized by bone fragility and fractures. ALLOB has been classified as a tissue engineered product under the ATMP regulation 1394/2007EMA.

Bone Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops regenerative therapies for various orthopedic conditions. Founded in 2006, Bone Therapeutics is headquartered in Gosselies, south of Brussels, Belgium.