TissueGene, Inc. announced the availability of its ELUTE(TM) biodegradable drug-loaded fiber products, including pharmaceutical loaded fibers and growth factor loaded fibers. The company's core technology includes patented processes for extrusion of biodegradable drug-loaded fibers at room temperature. The company's process preserves the biological activity of incorporated drugs and therapeutic agents, thereby enabling drug delivery and sustained therapeutic release through implantable medical devices.

The company's extrusion process at room temperature enables delivery of the widest selection of drugs and biologically-based entities directly to targeted internal sites via its ELUTE biodegradable drug-loaded fibers. Tailored design allows tunable release profiles and a unique biomaterial format for delivery of a broad range of therapeutics from small pharmaceuticals to protein-class drugs such as enzymes, growth factors, and even viral particles. Drugs incorporated in the fiber at the time of extrusion enable implantable medical devices to meet demanding performance requirements using commercially available polymers (i.e, PLLA, PGA, PLGA and PDO) and customers proprietary materials for specific applications.

ELUTE biodegradable drug-loaded fibers may also be loaded with biologically derived agents such as peptides and protein-class drugs including growth factors, enzymes, cytokines, carbohydrates, oligonucleotides, and even live viruses. The company's process provides a high degree of retained biological activity.