Tuesday 23 August 2016

Regenerative Medicines: A Potential Game Changer in the Medical Field

Regenerative medicines offer a wide range of medical opportunities; Improve bone development and healing, aid in severe muscle injuries as well as show traces of muscle regeneration

Regenerative Medicine is considered to be a revolution in the medical field. Technology has taken huge strides forward and come a long way. Medical science has embraced reliable and effective methods that have generated positive results. Robin Smith, CEO and co-founder of ORIG3N, a regenerative medical company, compares the regenerative medicine to the internet in 1993. 

According to him, this could be the next big thing in the medical field. The current regulations do not need a massive tweak to produce cost-effective drugs. Several organizations and industry players seek new pathways to expand their business and growth. Allied Market Research, explores the various aspects of the market in a report, ‘Regenerative Medicine Market’ such as market growth, share, and size. The industry is staring at a bright future as it’s a revolution in the medical industry.

Plasma makes an entry in regenerative medicine market 
Plasma, which is found in sun, stars, TVs, neon signs, and fluorescent light has made its way in the regenerative medicine stream. Traditionally used in the agriculture and in space propulsion industry, plasma is now being utilized in the medical field as well. A team of scientists have explained how plasma can be used to improve bone development in the research titled ‘Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine’. The scientists believe that this is a major breakthrough and a promising factor as far as bone healing and development is concerned. Cold plasma is modified to make a positive impact on bone formation and structuring of the cartilage by revamping the matrix. The study revealed how microsecond pulsed cold plasma had a positive impact on bone development

Dr. Freeman said “As research into medical application of cold plasma expands, it will be important to study various plasma types and conditions in tissue models, rather than isolated cells. Because cold plasma affects each cell type and matrix protein to produce variable physiological effects, it’s important to study not just how each cell behaves when exposed, but also how they react together within the tissue and organismal environment.”

Extra cellular matrix (ECM) derived from pig tissue used to treat patients a big hit
The generic treatment procedures did not have a huge impact on the patients suffering from muscle injuries and other muscle related problems. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine reveal that there was a commendable improvement in strength and motion of patients suffering from a medical condition being treated with regenerative medicines. There was a hint of skeletal regeneration of muscle as well, which boosted their confidence to use the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is derived from pig tissue. This new medical revelation holds a lot of promise and could soon eliminate the current practices. Stephen F Badylak, Ph.D., professor of surgery at Pitt and deputy director of McGowan Institute quoted “This approach could be a game changer and not just an incremental advance. Previously, there was no effective treatment for these patients, but this approach holds significant promise.”

Patients, who were surgically implanted with bioscaffolds from pig tissue, showed 37.3 percent strength improvement and 27.1 percent improvement in the range of motion tasks. CT/MRI scans also revealed soft improved soft tissue formation in all the 13 patients who were treated. Damaged leg muscles of patients grew stronger and were depicting traces of regeneration in three out of five patients. 

Bright future of Regenerative Medicines is changing the competitive landscape of the market
Regenerative medicines are redefining medical technology. Top manufacturers of the world are coming together and forming partnerships to improve and strengthen their foothold in the industry. It is not always feasible for one organization to procure every technology at its disposable. Looking at this situation the regenerative medicine market has started to witness acquisitions and partnerships that reduce the operation costs. 

An Irish pharmaceutical company, Mallinckrodt recently invested to acquire U.S. based regenerative medicine company, Stratatech. As a result of this deal, Mallinckrodt will now be able to focus on their pipeline products with off-the-shelf alternative known as StrataGraft. It is currently in the third phase of testing for partial thickness burns. Throwing a light on the acquisition, chief executive of Mallinckrodt, Mark Trudeau reveals that this move will give the company a stage or a platform to concentrate on the development of cell-based therapies which can be used for the treatment of a wide range of wounds. Mallinckrodt have made a series of acquisitions hoping to become a pharma specialist. 

The company signed two deals in 2015, a $1.3 billion deal to acquire immune cell therapy specialist Therakos and $2.3 billion to buy hospital treatment company Ikaria.

BioTime, Inc. recently made an announcement regarding the issuance of 31 new patents owned or licensed by the company. There are 700 issued and pending patents worldwide and the new patents will add to the number. The issue of these new patents will strengthen the IP position in the regenerative medicine field of the company and other firms affiliated to it. The company also aims to protect its core products keeping an eye on the current and future development prospects and attract new partnerships for product development.

Regenerative medicines are here to stay as research activities are on the rise
Regenerative Medicines are surely a game changer and the medical industry has accepted them with open arms. The use of these medicines have given positive results worldwide and has gained a lot of popularity in last decade. U.S. and Europe are frontrunners in this field as they are technologically sounder than the other regions of the world. The world regenerative market is projected to reach $30,237 million by 2022 according to the report published by Allied Market Research. 

The industry and the market is driven by various factors such as technological advancements in tissue and organ regeneration, increasing rate of chronic diseases, growing popularity of nanotechnology, and the stem cell technology. Another factor that could boost the growth of the market is the increasing number of degenerative diseases and lack of organs that can be used for transplantation. New research conducted by scientists and researchers also help in market growth. New avenues and pockets are being explored every day and supplements the growth of the market as well. Keeping in mind all the factors mentioned, it is safe to say that the regenerative medicine industry is here to stay.