JointRep™, a CE-Mark injectable cartilage void-filler-defect repair, for osteoarthritis or trauma injuries, will launch in Europe at the 51st National Congress SCIM, on October 3rd, 2013 in Rimini, Italy

- OligoMedic, Inc. is proud to announce the European Launch of its flagship cartilage repair product, JointRep™:

-- JointRep™ is the FIRST CE-MARK INJECTABLE IMPLANT TO FILL ANY SIZE ARTICULAR DEFECT(S), PRESERVE CARTILAGE, REDUCE PAIN, AND DELAY JOINT replacement where possible.

-- JointRep™'s mechanical property, liquid at room temperature and solid at body temperature, has been designed for a convenient and ease-of-use handling during arthroscopy.  JointRep™ is an ideal product for completing any arthroscopy procedure with added-benefit to the patient.

-- JointRep™ is approved for treatment of articular defect and could be used in knee, hip, ankle, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and extremities.  Not to be confused with visco-supplementation, JointRep™ is a bio-adhesive void-filling cartilage defect(s) and both products are complementary.

-- JointRep™ is prepared and implanted at the defect site(s) in less than three minutes and solidifies immediately, with the purpose of bridging with healthy anatomical boundaries.

MONTREAL, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- OligoMedic, Inc., a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of osteoarthritis products announces today the launch of its CE mark injectable implant JointRep™ for Treatment of Cartilage Articular Joint Defect(s). CE mark designation will allow JointRep™ to be sold in European Union and other countries that recognize or require this approval.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease and estimated to affect more than 27 million[1] people in the US alone. Overtime, the cumulative wear leads to an end-state joint failure, and if left untreated, it would lead to a total joint replacement.  For patients, quality of life is reduced due to loss in mobility and joint pain, which progresses to continuous discomfort, even at rest.  JointRep™ is implanted to fill the cartilage defect(s) with the purpose of reducing articular pain. 

JointRep™ is an ideal product for knee, hip, ankle, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and extremities.  It is implanted at the defect site(s) under arthroscopic control and solidifies immediately, bridging with healthy anatomical boundaries to fill cartilage void and delay any further erosion. Its application is easy; it just takes few minutes to prepare and apply.  JointRep™ provides a practical benefit to the patients while minimizing the cost and risk of the procedure.

"The rationale behind JointRep™ development represents the fruit of our deep understanding and knowledge of Physician/Patient needs in reducing osteoarthritis pain and improving patient's quality of life. JointRep™ provides a significant added-value to 98% of arthroscopy procedures packed in a 3-minute procedural time." said Dr. Amine Selmani, CEO of OligoMedic.

JointRep™ comprises of a 4mL syringe-kit recombined during surgical procedure.  It is a simple biocompatible, bioadhesive, and easy-to-use matrix to fill small and large cartilage defects. In clinical follow-up under a well-defined protocol, patients that have been treated under Canadian SAP, the product has shown a significant reduction of WOMAC score at 6 months, with a prolonged effect, to-date, up to 18 months.  OligoMedic is expanding its regulatory submissions to emerging markets such as Latin America, Asia and MENA markets.  OligoMedic is currently expanding its product distribution to Italy, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Eastern-Europe, and Brazil.

"For two years, cartilage defects of the knee in selected patients were treated with JointRep™, a safe product taken off the shelf and implanted under arthroscopic control. Significant reduction of pain and improved function was observed in most patients." said Dr. Nicolas Duval, M.D., FRCS(C), orthopedic surgeon and founder of Duval Orthopaedic Clinic, Laval, Quebec, Canada.

About OligoMedic, Inc.

OligoMedic, Inc. (www.oligomedic.net) is an ISO13485 (Title: "Design, Manufacturing, and Commercialization for Degradable Surgical Biopolymers") certified medical device manufacturer, designer, and distributor. Since 2010, we have developed innovative and high-quality products for cartilage preservation and other orthopedic products based on Polysaccharide biopolymers.

For further information:
Amine Selmani
CEO
selmani@oligomedic.com

[1] Center for Disease Control and Prevention