LUND, Sweden, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BONESUPPORT, an emerging leader in injectable bone substitutes for orthopedic trauma, bone infections and instrument augmentation related to orthopedic surgery, today announced plans for a humanitarian medical mission to bring CERAMENT|G, the first CE-marked injectable antibiotic eluting ceramic bone graft substitute, to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) in Rwanda. CERAMENT|G is indicated to promote and protect bone healing being jeopardized by infection, a widespread problem in Rwanda. CERAMENT|G is not yet freely available in Rwanda but has been cleared for the compassionate-use mission to provide access to this breakthrough treatment for those in Rwanda suffering from bone infections.
The University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) is the referral site for osteomyelitis for all of Rwanda, a rural country of 8 million people. The 700-bed hospital averages up to 10 cases per month of chronic osteomyelitis, mostly in children with infections that have been long neglected. Physicians from the University Teaching Hospital of Butare requested access to CERAMENT|G after learning of its recent CE approval.
Lloyd Diamond, Chief Executive Officer of BONESUPPORT, and Professor Fredrik Lindberg, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, will deliver CERAMENT|G to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare, observe cases and exchange ideas with doctors and medical students.
“CERAMENT has been used in more than 4000 clinical cases with excellent results,” said Lloyd Diamond, CEO of BONESUPPORT. “We are proud to partner with CHUB to bring this level of care to the people of Rwanda.”
Rwanda is known for the 1994 genocide that killed 800,000 people. CHUB was closed following the genocide. Most doctors were killed or fled for their lives. In ashes nearly 20 years ago, today the country has made great strides in restoring peace and improving the living and health conditions of its people. Life expectancy in Rwanda has increased from 48 years to 58 years in the past ten years, while deaths of children under the age of 5 have been reduced by half in five years. However, despite the progress, the per capita income is only $550 a year, making Rwanda one of the world’s poorest countries and greatly in need of outside support.
The company has set up a blog to document and share photographs, videos and stories of this medical mission at: http://www.bonesupport.com/blog/ .
About BONESUPPORT
BONESUPPORT is an emerging leader of injectable bone graft substitutes for orthopedic trauma focusing on bone infection, instrument augmentation and spinal applications. CERAMENT is an injectable, synthetic bone substitute that mimics the properties of cancellous bone, allows for controlled resorption to support future bone ingrowth and is injectable under local anesthesia for minimally invasive surgery. CERAMENT’s unique biologic properties deliver a consistent, pre-packed and ready-to-use formulation to facilitate optimal delivery. CERAMENT|G is the first CE-marked injectable antibiotic eluting ceramic bone graft substitute. CERAMENT|G is indicated to promote and protect bone healing in the management of osteomyelitis, (bone infections) in CE marked countries. CERAMENT|G is not available in the United States.
CERAMENT is a fully developed product platform that is commercially available in the U.S. and Europe and is revolutionizing the treatment of fragility and other fractures caused by disease and trauma. Scientific research of CERAMENT spans more than eleven years. Over forty-five pre-clinical, clinical and animal studies have been conducted and more than 4,000 patients have been treated with CERAMENT. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Lund, Sweden with subsidiary locations in the US and Germany. To learn more about BONESUPPORT please visitwww.bonesupport.com.
Press Inquiries:
Offer Nonhoff
Chief Financial Officer
Offer.Nonhoff@bonesupport.com
Phone +46 46 286 53 60
PR 0298-01 EN
SOURCE BONESUPPORT
