Stratatech plans clinical trial for skin substitute

May 5, 2010 by MedCity News

Stratatech Corp. wastes no time after a $3 million funding round in announcing plans for a Phase IIb clinical trial of its StrataGraft skin substitute.

By Brandon Glenn

Fresh off a $3 million funding round, Stratatech Corp. plans to begin Phase IIb clinical trials of its genetically engineered human skin substitute.

The Madison, Wis.-based company said it plans to begin the trials of its StrataGraft skin substitute, which is designed for patients suffering from burns or other severe wounds, during the second half of this year. The company shared its plans when it announced the funding round this week, first reported in early April by MedCity News.

The trial’s goal is is to assess the efficacy of StrataGraft tissue in healing severe burns and wounds that otherwise would require multiple skin grafts. The company markets StrataGraft as a temporary wound cover that promotes healing by a patient’s own cells. The skin substitute also prepares a patient’s wound to receive graft of the patient’s own skin, according to Stratatech.

Serious burns or chronic wounds are often treated with skin from cadavers, but that can lead to infection or rejection of the cadaver tissue. Stratatech touts its technology as safer and more effective than cadaver skin.

The funding, from the sale of convertible debt, was raised from existing angel investors.

Stratatech was founded in 2000 by Lynn Allen-Hoffman, a University of Wisconsin pathology professor. Allen-Hoffman didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.