Inion^® Core Technology

Inion has developed a range of biodegradable medical implants based on its core Inion Optima™ biomaterial, which are sold globally, and target the high-growth Spine and Specialty Orthopaedics markets.

Inion's core biomaterials technology - Inion Optima™ - represents a range of proprietary biodegradable and biocompatible polymers with great potential for use in medical implants that enhance the healing of bone or soft tissue injuries to the skeleton, such as those caused by trauma or surgery.  A key benefit of Inion Optima™ implants is that they provide support during the healing process and then they degrade in the body at a predictable rate into CO2 and water safely and completely.

Fundamental to Inion’s approach is its detailed understanding of the healing process. Inion recognises that different types of injuries require fixation using implants with characteristics that provide the right combination of strength, rigidity, malleability and biodegradability to produce a successful clinical outcome. No single-polymer biodegradable or metal implant can produce this result.

By blending four safe and well-characterised rigid and elastic medical polymers in varying proportions, Inion has generated more than 40 Inion Optima™ blends. Typically, Inion OptimaTM implants decrease to 70% strength 9-14 weeks after implantation and degrade entirely in 2-4 years, but depending on the clinical requirements, these parameters can be optimised by varying the composition of the blend.  Inion develops implants in consultation with leading surgeons, to ensure they meet specific clinical performance criteria.      
Medical implants made from Inion Optima™, such as plates, pins and screws, can be made for the fixation of a wide range of fractures or soft tissue injuries (torn tendons or ligaments) throughout the skeleton.

Next-generation Biomaterials

Inion’s longer-term R&D focus is on developing next-generation bioactive biomaterials that offer a significant clinical benefit through accelerated bone growth. Inion believes that these next-generation biomaterials will offer significant benefits over existing materials currently used to make medical implants (metals or other biomaterials) and that this therefore represents a very important area for development.

Inion has been evaluating Inion Optima™ as a delivery vehicle for bioactive compounds that promote bone/tissue healing and accelerate patient rehabilitation Inion OptimaPLUS™, in which the key ingredient responsible for bioactivity is a small molecule called NMP (N-methyl-pyrrolidone), is currently in a pilot clinical proof of principle trial, which is due to complete during late 2008.

Inion BioRestore™ bone filler is the Company’s first bioactive product to be brought to market – launched in 2007. This new product is a synthetic bioactive and biodegradable bone grafting substitute material made from bioactive glass fibres and is designed to fill bony voids or gaps in the skeleton that may result from surgery or from traumatic injury.