Avita Medical Ltd, a regenerative medicine company specialising in the treatment of wounds and skin defects, today announced that it has forged a partnership with the University of Huddersfield to explore the mechanism of Regenerative Epithelial Suspension (RES) – from Avita’s ReCell® device – to better understand its ability to effectively treat burns, hard-to-heal wounds and skin trauma.

The objective of the research is to provide greater understanding of the cellular interactions present in RES and the roles these play in regenerating natural, healthy skin.  It is anticipated that the results of this research will help enable clinicians to make more informed patient selection leading to superior clinical outcomes.

In the coming months, Dr. Nikolaos Georgopoulos, Senior lecturer in Biological Sciences, Dr. Karen Ousey, Reader in Advancing Clinical Practice, and Professor Barbara Conway, Professor of Pharmaceutics – all from the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention at the University of Huddersfield – will assess the ReCell® device using donated human skin to produce RES™. The investigators will examine the behaviour of the skin cells in RES using sophisticated analysis techniques to reveal ongoing cellular interactions. The resulting new information regarding the mechanism within RES™ will be used to advance clinical practice, education, and product development.

“Our goal with this study is to further unlock understanding of the mechanism within the active suspension, so that we will be able to further discern the intricacies behind why ReCell® is so effective for wound treatment,” said Adam Kelliher, Chief Executive Officer of Avita Medical. “Our patients are at the centre of everything Avita Medical does and they will benefit from the deeper knowledge we will achieve through this collaboration with the University of Huddersfield.”

Dr. Nikolaos Georgopoulos of the University of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, added: “Researchers at our University are deeply committed to working with innovative, world-class companies on the development of products that promise to make a real difference in people’s lives and contribute to their well-being. Avita Medical and RES are a perfect example of this.”

Dr. Georgopoulos continued, “The collaboration is also an ideal opportunity for the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention. We are an inter-disciplinary group whose members can pool an enormous range of expertise. This will serve us well as we investigate the full potential of Regenerative Epithelial Suspension. It is an exciting project that promises to produce real benefits.”

Following this initial collaborative evaluation, Avita Medical and the University of Huddersfield intend to finalise a longer-term strategy to explore the RES™ mechanism.

 

ABOUT RECELL® AND RES™

ReCell® is Avita Medical’s unique proprietary technology that enables a clinician to rapidly create, at point of care in approximately 30 minutes, Regenerative Epithelial Suspension (RES™) using a small sample of the patient’s skin. RES™ is an autologous suspension comprising the cells and wound healing factors necessary to regenerate natural, healthy skin. RES™ has a broad range of applications and can be used to restart healing in unresponsive wounds, to repair burns using less donor skin yet with improved functional and aesthetic outcomes, and to restore pigmentation and improve cosmesis of damaged skin.

 

ABOUT AVITA MEDICAL LIMITED

Avita Medical develops and distributes regenerative products for the treatment of a broad range of wounds, scars and skin defects. Avita’s patented and proprietary collection and application technology provides innovative treatment solutions derived from a patient’s own skin. The Company’s lead product, ReCell®, is used in the treatment of a wide variety of burns, plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. ReCell® is patented, CE‐marked for Europe, TGA‐registered in Australia, and CFDA‐cleared in China. In the United States, ReCell® is an investigational device limited by federal law to investigational use. A pivotal U.S. trial is underway, with patient enrollment completion anticipated by the end of 2015.