Patent awarded to Integra Lifesciences for Duragen dural graft matrix technology.

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Plainsboro, NJ;) announced that United States Patent 5,997,895 covering matrices for repair of the dura mater has issued to Integra LifeSciences Corporation. The dura mater is a layer of fibrous tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, and often needs to be patched or repaired after brain or spinal surgery.

The newly patented dural graft, marketed as the DuraGen dural graft matrix, allows a new method of dural closure that does not require suturing to achieve a watertight dural closure. The newly issued patent covers a wide range of regeneration matrices for repair of the dural membrane and other connective tissues.

The new patent significantly expands the protection for Integra's growing portfolio of regenerative devices. "This patent is the culmination of over a decade of research conducted in the United States, Canada and South Africa involving nearly 1,500 patients. These totally bioresorbable materials give the neurosurgeon a new choice for dural closure that does not involve synthetic materials or products derived from human tissues. The onlay graft also allows for an extremely rapid dural closure technique," explained Dr. Simon Archibald, vice president of research & development for Integra NeuroCare.

Stuart M. Essig, president and CEO, presenting at the First Union Securities Brain and Spine Symposium, said, "Integra is thrilled by the United States Patent and Trademark Office's decision to issue this important and comprehensive patent. We are pleased that the DuraGen dural graft matrix has already come to market under the trade name DuraGen in the United States, Canada, Europe and certain international markets".

Approximately $600,000 of DuraGen has been sold by Integra NeuroCare in the United States and internationally since its launch in the third quarter of 1999.