PITTSBURGH, September 20, 2005 — Revivicor, Inc., a centerpiece in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s small business investment portfolio, has transferred worldwide exclusive distribution rights for genetically engineered xenogeneic tissues for regenerative therapies to Zimmer Holdings, Inc., of Warsaw, Ind. The financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
Revivicor, of Blacksburg, Va., is known for its advanced transgenic technology platform that focuses on the development and commercialization of therapies aimed at treating and curing serious human disease through the replacement of cells, tissues and organs. Zimmer is a worldwide leader in the design, development and marketing of reconstructive orthopaedics products. It initially plans to develop Revivicor’s technologies for orthopaedic applications, including the repair and replacement of damaged tendon, ligament, meniscus, cartilage, bone and spinal nucleus tissues. As part of the agreement, Revivicor will work with Zimmer’s Biologics group to adapt its proprietary genetic engineering technology for orthopaedic applications.
“This partnership with Zimmer makes Revivicor well-positioned for commercializing medical device products derived from our gene-modified pigs for the orthopaedics field, while providing a solution for the inadequate supply of equivalent human tissues,” stated David Ayares, Ph.D., Revivicor’s CEO.
Revivicor was formed in 2003 as a spinoff of PPL Therapeutics, Plc, with an investment group led by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). UPMC currently owns a 31 percent interest in Revivicor, and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute have been working closely with Revivicor scientists in the development of therapeutic products derived from genetically modified cloned pigs, including islet cells for the treatment of diabetes and whole organs such as heart and kidney for transplantation into patients with end-stage organ failure. The Starzl Transplantation Institute began collaborating with PPL in 2000. Gene sequencing work performed by the Pittsburgh team contributed a key discovery that allowed PPL to move forward and produce the world’s first cloned pigs and the first pigs that lacked both copies of the gene responsible for triggering acute immune rejection in humans.
“Revivicor and Zimmer are companies that are focused on realizing the potential of regenerative medicine. UPMC shares this vision, and we are focused on advancing efforts that will revolutionize health care through biomedical research and quality patient care,” said Talbot Heppenstall, UPMC treasurer.
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