Eqalix Announces Publication in Wound Medicine of Pre-Clinical Data on Its Novel Plant Protein-Based Tissue Scaffold Suggesting the Promotion of Skin Healing

RESTON, Va., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Eqalix, Inc. today announced the results of a pre-clinical study on its novel electro-spun soy protein-based tissue scaffold, OmegaSkin™ wound dressing, suggesting enhanced tissue generation in a pig model of full thickness excisional wound healing. The study was conducted at the Temple University Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (TIME) in Philadelphia. 

The Wound Medicine online edition publication, "Electrospun Soy Protein Scaffolds as Wound Dressings:  Enhanced Reepithelialization in a Porcine Model of Wound Healing," authored by scientists in the laboratory of Peter I. Lelkes, Ph.D., Director of TIME, compared wounds dressed with OmegaSkin™ with control wounds dressed with a currently marketed product.

The study found that while the overall rate of wound closure was similar in wounds dressed with OmegaSkin™ compared to control wounds, there were significant qualitative differences. Two weeks after a single application at the time of wounding, the OmegaSkin™-treated wounds showed robust signs of reepithelialization, which was absent in the control wounds. After 4 weeks, the OmegaSkin™-treated wounds contained an epithelial layer in the epidermis that appeared essentially normal, while the connective tissue in dermis was attaining a cellular, organized appearance. By contrast, the nascent epidermis of the control wounds appeared immature, while the dermis was still replete with numerous inflammatory/immune cells. Standard staining confirmed the increased presence of collagen in the dermis of the OmegaSkin™-treated wounds at 4 weeks, while the control wounds were largely devoid of collagen. Finally, in addition to enhanced reepithelialization and dermal tissue regeneration 4 weeks after application of the OmegaSkin™ dressing, dermal appendages such as sweat glands and hair follicles were observed, while no such appendage formation was observed in the control wounds.   

Dr. Lelkes elaborated that, "Taken together, the histological data indicated that OmegaSkin™ promoted a more natural mode of tissue regeneration in this porcine model of full thickness excisional wound healing. Given the similarities between porcine and human wound healing, we anticipate that OmegaSkin™ may also be advantageous in human applications."

Mr. Thomas Seoh, Eqalix President and Chief Executive Officer, stated that, "In addition to the possibility that OmegaSkin™ may promote more physiologic healing of wounds, we believe that applying this scalable industrial manufacturing process of electro-spinning to a "green" renewable source like the soybean plant may be able to cut costs significantly, extend availability and shelf life without the need for refrigeration, avoid procurement and processing of animal and human tissues and eliminate the risk of immunogenic reactions and disease transmission from animal and human products."

The Company plans to file appropriate product applications with the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies to obtain marketing approval for the management of a range of chronic ulcers and other wounds.

The online publication is available through the following link:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221390951400024X

About Eqalix

Eqalix is a regenerative medicine company based in Reston, Virginia, USA, that is developing a novel plant protein-based tissue scaffold product candidate intended to treat acute and chronic wounds, a small diameter vascular graft product candidate that may promote re-endothelialization, and other product candidates for tissue repair and regeneration. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.eqalix.com.

About Wound Medicine - The International Wound Journal for Clinical and Health Economics Research and Applications

Published in print and online four times a year, Wound Medicine is devoted to the clinical, scientific and health economics aspects in the prevention, management and reimbursement in wound care. The journal publishes original research papers and review articles.  In addition, the journal features standards and guidelines, commentaries, health economic analyses and selected conference papers that meet the information need of wound care specialists and service providers.  For more information or to submit an article, please visit: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/wound-medicine.

CONTACT:        Thomas Seoh, President & CEO, Eqalix, Inc., +1 703-853-6090, Email

Disclaimer:

Under U.S. law, a new device cannot be marketed until it has been approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, which may require the conduct of clinical trials. OmegaSkin™ has not received approval or clearance from the FDA for sale in the U.S. Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our failure to complete development of, procure required FDA clearances or approvals for, and successfully commercialize our product candidates; costs and delays (including any requirement for additional studies beyond those currently planned); uncertainties or differences in interpretation of clinical trial results; our inability to enter into or maintain, and the risks resulting from our dependence upon, collaboration or contractual arrangements necessary for the development, manufacture, commercialization, marketing, sales and distribution of any products; the failure of our product candidates to achieve the expected features, profile or cost of goods and production; our inability to obtain, maintain and protect our patents or proprietary rights or obtain, maintain and protect necessary rights to third party patents and intellectual property (including from our current institutional licensors); our inability to operate our business without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of others; general economic conditions; the failure of any products to gain market acceptance; our inability to obtain financing required to execute on our business plans, including generating the required data for and preparing and filing clearance or approval applications for our product candidates; technological changes; government regulation; changes in industry practice and one-time events. We do not intend to update any of these factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Eqalix