Cardium Therapeutics announced that it has entered into an agreement with Orbsen Therapeutics Ltd. and the National University of Ireland, Galway, to utilize Cardium's Excellagen(R) pharmaceutically-formulated gel as a delivery agent for Orbsen's proprietary stromal cell therapy in pre-clinical studies for the potential treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The research is being conducted by the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), a world-class biomedical research centre focused on mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) research. The research initiative is funded by REDDSTAR, a European Union Framework 7 (EU FP7) research collaboration focused on treating diabetes and its complications with a defined MSC therapy and enlisting academic and industry partners throughout Europe in the program.

Cardium's FDA-cleared Excellagen is an aseptically-manufactured, quaternary fibrillar Type I bovine collagen homogenate that is configured into a staggered array of three-dimensional, triple helical, telopeptide-deleted, tropocollagen molecules. This linear array forms a flowable, biocompatible and bioactive structural matrix that promotes chemotaxis, cellular adhesion, migration and proliferation to stimulate tissue formation. The Excellagen homogenate represents a new product delivery platform that allows for the potential development of a portfolio of advanced tissue regeneration therapeutic opportunities that could include anti-infectives, antibiotics, peptides, proteins, small molecules, DNA, stem cells, differentiated cells and conditioned cell media.