InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. signed a research deal with the University of Miami for collaboration on spinal cord injury treatments.
The Cambridge, Mass.-based company is developing a bio-compatible polymer scaffold for spinal injuries and plans to work with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the university’s Miller School of Medicine, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Under their agreement, InVivo and U. of Miami plan to combine the company’s biopolymer technology with the university’s Schwann cells and other cellular therapies, according to the filing. One function of Schwann cells is to form protective sheaths around motor and sensory neurons.
Any intellectual property generated under the five-year research collaboration will be jointly owned by the university and InVivo, according the filing. U. Miami also agreed to give the company a right of first offer to an exclusive worldwide license to develop and further commercialize any technology developed by the Miami Project.
InVivo, which went public in a reverse merger last October, is hoping to commence a clinical study on its polymer scaffold-based spine treatment during the second half of this year.
The InVivo treatment uses a biodegradable polymer designed to act as a “synthetic extracellular matrix” and to reduce scar formation called astrogliosis. The company has said it will submit its scaffold device for FDA clearance alone. Down the road, it may apply for additional clearances for using the device with anti-inflammatory drugs or stem-cell-based compounds.