Merakris Therapeutics Launches Patent-Pending AmnioSurge™ With 360 Medical
Merakris Therapeutics has announced the commercial launch of AmnioSurge™ Amniotic Anastomosis Support Graft (ASG), a sterile, full-thickness amnion/chorion allograft featuring a patent-pending, procedure-specific ring configuration designed for use as a protective covering or barrier at colorectal and other internal anastomotic sites.
The launch is supported by a commercialization and distribution agreement with 360 Medical, combining Merakris’ product-development capabilities with 360 Medical’s surgical-market infrastructure, robotic-surgery expertise and SIM360 clinical training platform. Processing and contract manufacturing services will be provided by LifeLink Tissue Bank through its established placental tissue-processing platform.
For Merakris, the launch creates a new surgical revenue stream and expands the company’s commercial product portfolio beyond wound care. With more than 600,000 colorectal procedures performed annually in the United States, AmnioSurge addresses a sizable procedure-driven market and creates the potential for recurring per-procedure revenue through a partner-enabled commercial model.
“AmnioSurge demonstrates the product-development model we intend to scale at Merakris,” said Chris Broderick, CEO of Merakris Therapeutics. “We can identify a differentiated opportunity, develop and protect the technology, and pair it with specialized manufacturing and commercial partners capable of moving it efficiently into the market. This gives Merakris access to new revenue channels while allowing us to remain lean and keep our primary development resources focused on advancing our clinical drug pipeline.”
Patent-Pending Design Built Around the Surgical Workflow
AmnioSurge was designed by surgeons around the practical requirements of colorectal anastomosis. Unlike traditional sheet-format amniotic membranes that may require manual positioning or modification, its circular configuration is designed to interface with the geometry of the anastomotic site and commonly used circular stapling techniques.
Derived from donated human placental tissue, AmnioSurge is composed of full-thickness amnion and chorion and provides an extracellular matrix-rich membrane for use as a protective covering or barrier.
“The durable yet thin circular configuration integrates easily with the EEA anvil and efficiently into the anastomotic workflow,” said Dr. Dustin Luebbers, M.D., a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon at Texas Digestive Specialists.
Partner-Enabled Commercialization, Training and Scale
Under the distribution agreement, 360 Medical will support the commercialization and distribution of AmnioSurge, leveraging its commercial capabilities and relationships within the surgical community to expand physician and healthcare-system access to the technology.
The relationship extends beyond traditional product distribution. Merakris and 360 Medical plan to collaborate on sales-force development, surgeon education and procedural training, including programs focused on the integration of AmnioSurge into robotic and open colorectal surgical workflows.
“We are excited to partner with Merakris to bring AmnioSurge to the colorectal surgical community,” said Rick Masso, Chief Operating Officer, 360 Medical. “Merakris has developed a differentiated technology around a very specific surgical workflow, and commercialization and physician education is exactly what 360 Medical does best. Our team is ready to drive education, access and adoption across the markets we serve.”
Processing and contract manufacturing services for AmnioSurge will be performed by LifeLink Tissue Bank, providing Merakris access to specialized placental tissue-processing capabilities and scalable manufacturing infrastructure without the need to duplicate those capabilities internally.
Together, the partner-enabled model allows Merakris to increase product-development throughput by combining internal development and intellectual-property creation with specialized external manufacturing, surgeon training and commercialization capabilities—preserving capital and organizational focus for the company’s clinical-stage drug programs.
Source: Merakris Therapeutics