Nerites Technology Wins Scientific...( MADISON Wis. June 23 /- Anti-foul...),Health

MADISON, Wis., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Anti-fouling medical device coatings developed by Nerites Corporation have received several recent awards recognizing innovation in medical technology. Collaborators at the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute tested urinary stents coated with Nerites' polymers, and demonstrated a significant reduction in animal infection levels.

Unlike active antibiotic-releasing coatings, which cannot protect against resistant bacterial strains, the Nerites technology passively prevents bacteria from attaching to the medical device and forming an infectious biofilm. In this way, the passive coating may have both greater efficacy and fewer side effects than active coatings. Recognition for this work includes:

-- First place in the New Investigator Competition at the 2008 Society for Infection and Inflammation in Urology Annual Meeting

-- Top Research Poster at the 61st Annual Meeting of The Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand

-- First place in the Basic Science Division at the 2007 Endourological Society Fellowship Essay Competition

-- Publication in the Journal of Endourology in June, 2008

The research was led by Peter Cadieux and Hassan Razvi, of the University of Western Ontario, and Raymond Ko, of the University of Sydney. "Urinary conditioning films that form on medical devices are notorious for covering up the effects of existing coatings, augmenting bacterial attachment and providing nutrients to the microbes," stated Cadieux. "By preventing the attachment of both bacteria and urine, the Nerites' coatings demonstrate great promise for preventing biofilm formation and related infections."

"We're really pleased to have our coatings technology validated by our academic partners and their peers in medical research," stated CEO Tom Mozer, "we hope that corporate partners will also be interested in bringing this innovation to the millions of
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