Amedica Inks OEM Deal with Spinal Kinetics

Just prior to the beginning of this year’s start to the North American Spine Society annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif., Amedica Corp. reported a multi-year original equipment manufacturer agreement with Spinal Kinetics, a developer of advanced spinal implant technologies.

Salt Lake City, Utah-based Amedica will assist Spinal Kinetics with its proprietary design, development, manufacture and supply of spinal implants made with silicon nitride, which Amedica makes.

“We are very pleased to announce an additional element to this growing alliance with Spinal Kinetics,” Sonny Bal, chairman and CEO of Amedica. “We remain committed to offering our customers a biomaterial that contains distinct benefits to improve the efficacy of spinal fusion procedures, resulting in enhanced patient care. I am convinced that this, and other similar agreements, will lead to faster and more widespread market penetration of silicon nitride, positioning it as the biomaterial of choice for medical applications.”

Silicon nitride is a unique biomaterial that can be shaped and engineered into complex designs and surfaces to address a variety of medical needs. Unlike other biomaterials, silicon nitride contains anti-bacterial properties and also supports rapid bone on-growth and in-growth. This combination, according to Amerdica officials, of optimal material properties is unique to the firm’s silicon nitride material platform.

“This agreement further expands our use of Amedica’s silicon nitride technology platform and will now allow us to take this biomaterial directly to our customers and develop it according to their specifications,” said Tom Afzal, president and CEO of Spinal Kinetics. “This novel biomaterial will provide Spinal Kinetics the opportunity to continue to provide unique spinal implants as we continue to expand our technology platform.”

Amedica also makes its own spinal fusion products using silicone nitride and is developing a new generation of orthopaedic bearings for hip and knee arthroplasty. Amedica operates an ISO 13485 certified manufacturing facility and its spine products are U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared, CE marked.

Founded in 2003, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Spinal Kinetics is a privately held company developing technology for treatment of diseases of the spine. The company makes the M6-C cervical and M6-L lumbar artificial discs. In the United States, Spinal Kinetics is enrolling patients in its FDA investigational device exemption pivotal study of the M6-C. M6-C and M6-L have been available in Europe since 2006.

In June, Spinal Kinetics completed a $34 million round of private financing prior to kicking off its U.S. study. In addition to the clinical trial, the funds also will be used to expand international commercialization and clinical programs.

Also in June, Spinal Kinetics settled its ongoing patent litigation with Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes division regarding M6.

Terms of the agreement are confidential.

If you’re attending NASS, Amedica is at booth 1113.