Marizyme, Inc. announced that it was granted a de novo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first in-class product, DuraGraft. DuraGraft is labelled for use as a vascular conduit solution indicated for adult patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgeries and is intended for the flushing and storage of the saphenous vein grafts used in CABG surgery. The mechanism of action for DuraGraft is through the reduction of oxidative damage which maintains the structural and functional integrity of vascular circuits.

DuraGraft has been studied extensively in clinical studies including imaging studies. These studies show that saphenous vein grafts treated with DuraGraft have reduced graft wall thickening compared to standard-of-care, saline treated grafts at 12 months post-CABG surgery. DuraGraft use is also associated with reduced long-term mortality through three years post-CABG surgery; Cardiac care is a large and rapidly growing industry; according to the CDC the estimated average annual US cost of coronary heart disease is $219 billion.

CABG is the most common type of open-heart surgery in the United States with more than 500,000 surgeries performed each year. With the granting of this de novo, DuraGraft is the first and only medical product that is FDA cleared for use as an intra-operative vascular conduit storage and flushing solution used during CABG surgeries and is also the only approved product available for this indication in Europe and other vascular surgeries. The DuraGraft patent portfolio is growing and includes granted patents and pending applications in over 30 countries throughout the world, including patents granted in the United States, Europe, Australia, India, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, and several Asian countries.

With the FDA de novo granted, the Company will now focus on executing its plan for US commercialization with an emphasis on driving utilization in hospital integrated networks using its own direct sales force.