(Taiwan) Life Spring Biotech announces iGen, its renamed collagen matrix implant for the improvement of patient recovery following glaucoma and selected ophthalmic surgeries :: BiotechEast - Taiwan and China biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, ^¤å½s×, ^¤å×§ï ::

(Press release: BiotechEast, for Life Spring Biotech Co., Ltd.)

21 January, 2008
Life Spring Biotech Co., Ltd. (Life Spring), a Taiwan-based biotech company focusing on research, development and manufacture of innovative collagen products for medical and cosmetic applications, today announced the re-branding of its biodegradable collagen matrix implant for glaucoma, pterygium and selected ophthalmic laser and ophthalmic surgery treatments. Previously known as OculusGen, the product has been renamed iGen.

Due to an agreement with an existing distributor in Europe, for countries within that territory the implant will be renamed Ologen.

Life Spring also announced that it is currently seeking marketing and sales partners for territories worldwide (excluding Europe).

About iGen
iGen is a collagen matrix implant, that acts as a biodegradable scaffold which can induce a regenerative non-scarring wound healing process without the use of medicine. The implant improves the healing process of the regenerating tissue and prevents scar formation. iGen can be used not only for trabeculectomy of glaucoma surgery, but also in for other ophthalmic surgical applications, such as pterygium removal, rejuvenation of ocular tissue for presbyopia, oculoplastic surgery and veterinary surgery.

iGen in glaucoma surgery
For glaucoma surgery, ophthalmologists can simply use the standard procedure for trabeculectomy and implant iGen on the top of the scleral flap under the conjunctiva before suturing. The application of iGen in trabeculectomy for primary glaucoma patients ensures a more than 95 percent success rate without using anti-fibrotic or anti-proliferative agents.

The mechanism of iGen is to induce fibroblast to grow randomly, which leads to the wound healing normally. Its porous structure can work as a reservoir, a buffering system, and a controlled drainage solution. The randomized growth of myofibroblasts creates a new physiological environment between the anterior chamber and subconjunctival space of the eyeball, and such physiological barrier established by iGen induced tissue regeneration simultaneously maintains both the function of the bleb and normalizes the dynamic aqueous balance, resulting in a safe conjunctival system.

iGen in presbyopia treatment
The application of iGen in the treatment of presbyopia induces a low density ocular tissue instead of scar tissue. This elastic ocular tissue leads to better accommodation ability for the presbyopic eye.

iGen in other potential applications
1. Pterygium surgery (reduces recurrence)
2. Inadequate conjunctiva, for cases of severe conjunctival scar formation following surgery
3. Impending need for PKP
4. Nasolacrimal duct surgery (prevents scar formation)
5. Orbital surgery
6. Eye plastic

Comparing ophthalmic surgery success rates with and without the use of iGen
Since 2006, clinical studies of iGen in China, Taiwan, Europe and Canada have involved more than 200 patients. These trials have shown that iGen can significantly improve the success rates of a variety of ophthalmic surgery procedures. For example, in glaucoma filtration microsurgery, success rates are around 50 percent (or 90 percent using antifibrotic agents, which can result in serious complications). Using the iGen implant, results in a success rate of surgery up to 95 percent without using antifibrotic agents. For presbyopia surgery, the success rate is usually between 70-75 percent; iGen implantation elevates this rate to over 95 percent. The long-term post-surgery condition of patients after iGen implantation show that the implant increases the effectiveness of such surgery; most presbyopia surgery must be repeated after 1-2 years, whereas the use of iGen may extend this period to around 10 years.

iGen is patented in Taiwan and has patents pending in the US (application numbers: US 11/471,695 and US 60/796,871). Life Spring is also developing a new generation iGen implant to further strengthen the existing patent.

About Life Spring
Life Spring Biotech Co., Ltd. is a Taiwan-based developer and manufacturer of innovative collagen products for medical and cosmetic applications. Products include a variety of collagen-based medical materials in powdered, filmed, cylindrical and tubed forms; dental regenerative membranes; dental filling materials; artificial skin; injectable collagen; artificial blood vessels; artificial small intestines; artificial bone and bone dust. Life Spring also provides the services of contract design and manufacture for medical cosmetic products.

The company was founded in 2000 by Dr. Shiao Luo Yi, previously the head of the Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering Research Laboratory at Taiwan's Chang Gung University, and also a lecturer at the university's Graduate School of Clinical Medicine.

For further information, please visit our website at http://www.lsbiotek.com.

Contact:
Changhui Chen
Vice President, Business Development
Life Spring BioTech Co. Ltd.
Taipei Office: 11F-2, 3 Yuan Qu St.,
Nan-Kang, 115 Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: +886 2 27891707
Fax: +886 2 2789 1396
cherry@lsbiotek.com
http://www.lsbiotek.com

News release published by BiotechEast Co., Ltd. (www.biotecheast.com)

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