October 25, 2007 – Ceremed's Ostene, designed to stop bone bleeding in surgery, reportedly does not interfere with bone healing or increase the risk of surgical infections, including MRSA.
This FDA approved and CE marked novel biomaterial is used in cardiac, orthopedic, and neurosurgery and has additional applications as a safe, soluble delivery vehicle for a variety of therapeutic agents, from antibiotics to bone growth factors, according to the manufacturer.
Ostene is a sterile mixture of water-soluble alkylene oxide copolymers developed as an affordable, easy-to-handle synthetic bone hemostasis material that does not increase the risk to patients. Wax-like and malleable during application, the biomaterial dissolves rapidly and is eliminated from the body unchanged shortly after surgery. Ceremed is currently developing next generation of Ostene with antibiotics specifically designed to prevent hospital-acquired surgical infection.
The use of Ostene in cardiac surgery may help reduce the risk of sternal wound infection and prevent the post-operative separation of the sternum, much feared complications. The benefits of Ostene may be significant for a growing high-risk group of diabetics and overweight patients who currently represent approximately 25% of more than 640,000 open-heart surgery procedures performed each year in the U.S., according to the company.