ALBANY, N.Y.—The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) has awarded Breonics Inc. a $2.9 million research grant to study whether the company’s technology can increase the number of viable kidneys for transplantation.
In 2009, Breonics was awarded $400,000 for a special emphasis grant by the National Institute for Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for its immunocloaking technology to protect kidney grafts from rejection.
Breonics is currently engaged in the research and development of products designed to increase clinical organ transplants. Exsanguinous Metabolic Support (EMS) is the company’s technology that consists of the solutions and equipment designed to maintain an organ in a metabolically active state while outside of the body.
By overcoming the technical barriers that limit organ donor criteria, Breonics said the EMS technology has the potential to more than double the number of cadaveric kidneys available for transplant each year.
Dr. Lauren Brasile, BREONICS’ Chief Scientific Officer and Principal Investigator, has successfully assembled a partnership with three nationally renowned transplantation programs that include the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Alabama/Birmingham to support the project.
“We are absolutely delighted as the competition for this grant was ferocious, and only 10 were awarded throughout the United States,” said Breonics President Ernie Green said:. This award gives us the opportunity to begin transitioning our technology into the clinical arena where we believe it will provide an immense medical and economic benefit.”
