3DMatrix Inc has unveiled a new proprietary family of synthetic biomaterials at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Investment Conference. The company involves the technology and expertise of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Shuguang Zhang, Alex Rich, Alan Grodzinsky, and Robert Langer.

The company's gels have shown unrivaled performance across cell culture, mammalian cell bioproduction, stem cell therapies and neurological repair. They are comprised of simple amino acids and 99.5-99.9 per cent water, which self-assemble into extremely stable, injectable gels with ideal biocompatibility and therapeutic characteristics. The small fragments that we manufacture self-assemble into nanofibers on a scale identical to in vivo extracellular matrix and impossible to synthetically produce by other manufacturing techniques. Most of the alternatives to our product are animal-derived substances like collagen, with high processing costs, high quality variability, and disease transmission risks.

No other synthetic material exists that can be manufactured with as defined a nanostructure, as high a water content, as biocompatible a composition, for as low a cost. The compounds are being manufactured using standard peptide chemistry in large scale, yielding superior manufacturing economics, low capital investment, and quick GMP production. The company holds two granted composition of matter patents and a portfolio of others in process.

The first product, PuraMatrix, will be on the market in 2003 supplying the Cell Culture, Bioproduction, and Drug Discovery markets through market leading channel partners. Our products enable a new research and drug discovery focus, in between the petri dish and live animals. PuraMatrix is a defined medium for creating in vivo-like models of tissue growth, cell metabolism, and cell interactions. 3DM is in contract negotiations for the unregulated applications, with marketing and distribution contracts in place by the end of 2002. We are applying the exact same materials as medical devices, spearheading the strategy with neurological regeneration, cosmetic surgery, and wound healing. The company is now beginning outlicensing negotiations for medical therapies it is not planning to pursue.