Silver Bullet Therapeutics Earns Patents, Releases Antimicrobial Bone Screw

San Jose, Calif.-based Silver Bullet Therapeutics Inc. has been awarded two new patents, one for coatings for the controllable release of antimicrobial metal ions, and the other for bone implant and systems that controllably release silver. The company also announced it will be releasing the Orthofuzion antimicrobial bone screw system in European this fall. The system has been granted the CE mark.

“We take a lot of pride in not only our medical solutions, but also the breadth of our growing IP (intellectual property) portfolio,” said Paul Chirico, president and CEO of Silver Bullet Therapeutics. “We have a unique approach to adding proven antimicrobial capabilities to new or existing medical devices and implants, one that does not require external power sources, does not use drugs or other pharmaceutical agents and is durable enough to withstand the abrasive forces of screwing into bone. With these latest allowances, our IP portfolio has expanded to protect the use of our antimicrobial technology on a broad range of medical devices and implants, including orthopedic screws, hip and knee prostheses, cardiac implantable defibrillators and pacemakers, implantable neurovascular stimulators, venous access indwelling catheters, sutures, staples, and surgical mesh, many of which we have already developed and tested.”

According to the company, statistics back up the need for antimicrobial medical devices. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused from antimicrobial growth, or biofilm, on medical devices is estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system over $35 billion annually, with figures from the Centers for Disease Control suggesting that surgical site infections account for over 30 percent of all HAIs in hospitalized patients.

The Orthofuzion antimicrobial orthopedic bone screw system is the company’s first commercial product and is indicated for orthopedic reduction and fixation procedures. The system consists of a platinum plated cannulated titanium bone screw and silver plated nitinol insert that fits into the inner lumen of the screw cannula. Implanted in the same manner as traditional bone screws and positioned to reduce and fixate a lower extremity fracture, the Orthofuzion bone screw galvanically produces silver ions, which actively reduce microbial contamination. In vitro testing of the Orthofuzion screw demonstrated bactericidal activity against MRSA and other common pathogens.

Silver Bullet Therapeutics makes antimicrobial implants and medical devices to address surgical-site and HAIs.