Sofregen Medical, which is developing silk-based tech for soft tissue repair, acquired a silk-based surgical mesh from Allergan for an undisclosed amount. It will be Sofregen’s first product on the market.
The Seri surgical scaffold is a silk-derived bioprotein, which distinguishes it from other scaffolds derived from human cadaver or animal tissue. It is used for soft tissue support in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and has been used in more than 10,000 procedures that require surgical mesh, Sofregen said in a statement.
The mesh is manufactured by twisting raw silk protein filaments into a multifilament fiber. Sericin, the gum that coats silk fiber, is then removed, leaving a silk protein filament that is constructed into a three-dimensional scaffold.
Founded in 2014 around technology developed at Tufts University, Sofregen aims to create products from silk biomaterial for medical and cosmetic procedures, such as scar repair, breast reconstruction and vocal cord augmentation. It has novel, injectable, silk-based products in its pipeline, according to the statement. In September, the company picked up $6.2 million in Series A funding.
“Silk has proven to promote regeneration of the body’s own tissue, allowing for tremendous potential to effectively repair both disfiguring injuries and delicate defects,” said Sofregen Chairman Howard Weisman, in the statement. “The global market for products to address soft-tissue aesthetics is estimated to reach $5 billion next year. We are excited to be adding the SERI product line to our platform, and look forward to continuing to help surgeons who are eager to restore confidence and improve the quality of life for patients around the world.”