“This support is entirely crucial and will speed up commercialisation of our technology, serving as an important milestone in the company´s development," says Ulf Brogren, president of biomaterials company Promimic AB.

There is a wide range regarding the projects´ different areas, encompassing everything from implant interfaces based on synthetic bone, allergy medicine, and faster diagnosis for fatal invasive candida infections, to improved monitoring of kidney function and a new marine-based morphine-like substance.

The project period starts in January 2010 and the assistance lasts for a year, with the possibility of extension. Assistance is provided both in the form of direct financial aid and also in the form of advice and support for business development and project management.

Promimic is a biomaterials company and one of the Göteborg-based companies that has been given a verification grant. Promimic is working with a new generation of implant surfaces based on synthetic bone. The innovation that the company has developed and patented makes it possible to produce hydroxylapatite of the same size and form as the mineral naturally has in human bone tissue. Promimic´s implant surface has previously been successfully evaluated in several preclinical studies in cooperation with world-leading independent scientists.

“The funds we now receive will be used for the first study on human patients of Promimic´s product, HANANO™ Surface. The product is a nano-thin surface of synthetic bone for implants. This surface promotes a faster healing process and better integration of the implant in the bone tissue," says Ulf Brogren, president of Promimic.

“The support from GöteborgBIO and Sahlgrenska Science Park is absolutely crucial and means we can carry out our patient study as early as this year. This in turn will speed up commercialisation of our technology and serve as an important milestone in the company´s development," emphasises Ulf Brogren.

The patented innovation can be used for several applications in life science but the focus is on improving integration of implants. Promimic will license the technology to the implant industry.
 
Observe Medical Nordic AB is a research company at Sahlgrenska Science Park that works with the development of a digital technique for assisting the monitoring of kidney function in patients in surgical and intensive care. 
 
“We feel immensely privileged to have received the grant and we feel this assistance is valuable to the company, both internally and externally. The external value lies in the fact that our research in intensive care has now received considerable attention, which of course makes communication with potential investors that much easier. The internal value lies in that we receive practical assistance with the physical preconditions for building up clinical evidence for our measurement system," says Mikael Charléz, head of business development at Observe Medical Nordic AB.
 
All told, 48 applications were received, of which five met all the necessary criteria and passed the rigorous review process for grant authorisation. In addition to Promimic and Observe Medical, NemerPharma, Allergy Vaccine Project/Encubator AB and Fungea AB were also given grants. These five companies will now share two million SEK, money that will be of considerable value in the ongoing commercialisation process.  

“By supporting ideas for products and services from our strong research environments, GöteborgBIO helps in the process of commercialising research results," says Bengt Belfrage, process manager at GöteborgBIO.

“For most of the projects, the grants are entirely crucial to being able to carry out essential steps such as initial patient studies or clinical tests of the concept, which in turn are needed in order to be able to apply for additional external financing," emphasises Bengt Belfrage.

Without this assistance, some of these projects may perhaps never reach commercialisation. Gunilla Bökmark, CEO of Sahlgrenska Science Park, points out the benefits of cooperation and says that cooperation also strengthens all concerned.

“Since we offer financial grants, business advice, purpose-built premises such as offices and laboratories, and much else, we also provide a complete package for these research projects. The benefit of cooperation is therefore immense," concludes Gunilla Bökmark. 

Facts about the companies/projects receiving the verification grants
Promimic AB is working on a new generation of implant surfaces based on synthetic bone.
Observe Medical Nordic AB conducts research into a new digital kidney monitoring system. 
NemerPharma works on the development of a marine-sourced bioactive substance intended primarily for the pharmaceuticals industry.
Encubator AB is working on an allergy vaccine.
Fungea AB works with diagnosis of invasive candida infections.

 
For more information, please contact:
Bengt Belfrage, Process manager, GöteborgBIO, phone +46 705-16 32 45
Gunilla Bökmark, CEO, Sahlgrenska Science Park, phone +46 31-741 17 07