12 August 2024
BSF Enterprise
PLC
Kerato Ltd Partners with
University of Montreal to develop
a novel treatment for corneal
damage
BSF the Main Market listed biotech
company and owner of corneal tissue replacement company Kerato Ltd,
is pleased to announce that Kerato Ltd has entered into a Heads of
Terms agreement and research partnership with the University of
Montreal in Canada.
BSF's 100% owned Kerato is an
independent company established to commercialise new innovations in
tissue engineering towards in vitro and in vivo corneal
use.
As part of this strategy, Kerato
will work with the University of Montreal, combining tissue
engineering expertise to further develop an in-situ gelling cornea
that offers a novel treatment for corneal damage and full thickness
perforations.
Corneas are the most frequently
transplanted human tissue worldwide, with around 185,000 procedures
per annum1. However, it is estimated that 55% of the
world's population do not have access to donor material1
with an estimated 12.7 million people worldwide waiting for a
transplant2. The global artificial cornea and corneal
implant market was valued at $ 421 million in 20213, of
which Kerato estimates its serviceable market to be $37.6 million.
The total market is expected to grow at 6.9% per annum to
reach $ 767.5 million by 20303.
Kerato's treatment combines host
corneal stromal cells with a synthetic extracellular matrix protein
sequence to support tissue healing and re-epithelialization of the
surface of the eye. Administered via injections to repair
damaged tissue rather than performing full transplant surgery, the
treatment is expected to greatly reduce the complexity of
procedures for many patients. This is expected to reduce time in
hospital, decrease the likelihood of graft rejection, reduce costs
for health service providers and result in better patient
outcomes.
New tissue resulting from the
treatment comprising the patient's own stromal cells, is
transparent and replicates the natural curvature of the eye.
Stromal cells comprise the extracellular matrix that provide
structural support for organs. Kerato's Intellectual property and
academic partners have previously demonstrated the critical role of
corneal stromal cells in engineering a healthy extracellular
matrix, and the impact that biomechanics can have on tissue
regeneration.3
The partnership with the University
of Montreal will build on the successful pre-clinical studies and
academic work of Professor May Griffith, advancing the translation
of the prototype corneal treatment and taking it through safety and
efficacy studies, completing clinical trials and gaining regulatory
approvals before launching on to international markets.
To de-risk this (as well as
shorten time to market) the new approach will first be
trialled in the veterinary space giving animal owners
much greater access to complex corneal
repair treatments.
Kerato's aim is to commercialise its
advanced intellectual property in tissue engineering and
bio-engineered corneal products and accelerate progression toward
clinical and veterinary trials. Two applications are being
developed, an Implantable Medical Device and an Ocular Toxicity
Testing Platform.
Sarah Greenhalgh, Managing Director at Kerato Ltd
said: "This project with the
University of Montreal marks the next step in the growth and
development of Kerato's corneal regenerative therapy technologies.
Stromal stem cells significantly contribute to corneal clarity by
replenishing damaged or aged keratocytes. We are excited to be
working on a transformative treatment for the repair of corneal
damage which can reduce costs for healthcare providers and support
improved patient outcomes."
1Gain P, Jullienne R, He Z, Aldossary M, Acquart S, Cognasse F,
Thuret G. Global Survey of Corneal
Transplantation and Eye Banking.
JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016 Feb;134(2):167-73. doi:
10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.4776.
PMID: 26633035
2Gain P, Jullienne R, He Z, et al. Global Survey of Corneal
Transplantation and Eye Banking. JAMA Ophthalmol.
2016;134(2):167-173.
doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.4776
3Artificial Cornea and Corneal Implant Market Report, 2030
(strategicmarketresearch.com), accessed 9/04/24
4Gouveia, R.M., Lepert, G., Gupta, S. et al. Assessment of
corneal substrate biomechanics and its effect on epithelial stem
cell maintenance and differentiation. Nat Commun 10, 1496
(2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09331-6
For
further enquiries, please visit www.bsfenterprise.com or
contact:
BSF Enterprise PLC
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Via SEC Newgate below
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Geoff Baker - Executive
Director
Che Connon - CEO &
Director
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Shard Capital (Broker)
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Damon Heath
Isabella Pierre
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0207 186 9000
0207 186 9927
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SEC Newgate (Financial
Communications)
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Bob Huxford
Elisabeth Cowell
George Esmond
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020 3757 6882
BSF@secnewgate.co.uk
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About BSF Enterprise PLC
BSF Enterprise PLC (BSF) is the
parent to a portfolio of innovative subsidiary companies focused on
developing and commercialising cell-based tissue engineering
solutions to deliver sustainable outcomes across a variety of
sectors. Its portfolio of subsidiaries, of which it owns 100% with
the exception of 50% owned CMT, is as follows:
3DBT A pioneering UK-based
tissue engineering company that successfully produced the UK's
first high-quality cultivated meat.
Lab-Grown Leather Ltd A company
focused on the customer driven development of cultivated skin
technology to produce sustainable leather.
Kerato Ltd A tissue engineering
company with patent-protected IP that is already producing human
corneas for testing to help restore vision to millions of
people.
BSF
Enterprise (Hong Kong) Limited A
company established to actively support commercialisation of BSF's
technology in China and Asia.
Cultured Meat Technologies (CMT) A 50% owned joint venture with CellulaRevolution Ltd
(CellRev), focused on providing the market with the premier
platform for manufacturing cultivated meat in a scalable and
cost-competitive manner.
BSF's core strategy is to acquire,
invest in, or develop joint ventures with, the most promising
companies from across the industry. In doing so BSF intends to
create an environment in which its portfolio of companies can
flourish and collaborate, thereby accelerating their progress,
potential and time to market.