Afmedica Inc.

It's not much of a stretch for companies to apply to other surgical markets the concepts that made drug-eluting stents such an overnight success. The overhealing response that characterizes in-stent restenosis is at the heart of many other processes that limit the long-term success of surgical interventions. In fact, Afmedica Inc. is building a drug plus device platform for vascular surgery around sirolimus, the very same drug that enabled Johnson & Johnson to be the first company to demonstrate that its drug-eluting stent prevents restenosis. Afmedica has built an IP estate around the use of the drug on the outside of vessels, where, in combination with non-inflammatory polymers, it might help reduce the failure of vascular access grafts for dialysis, prevent the closure of peripheral bypass grafts, and prevent surgical adhesions in abdominal surgery.