Area Company’s Patent-Pending Technology Induces Bone Growth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2011
CLARION, PA – Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, recently invested $160,000 in a start-up company located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. Clarion Research Group (CRG) owns the license to a patent-pending platform technology that induces bone formation, which is of very significant clinical importance to the dental and orthopedic markets.
In addition to the Ben Franklin money, the company raised an additional $585,000 from area angel investors, bringing the total funding to $745,000.
People of all ages are often faced with the need for oral surgery. Current bone graft products on the market are expensive and often limit the alternatives available to the patient. Additionally, slow or impaired healing can cause health complications and patient discomfort leading to a recovery period that is painful and protracted. These complications are especially true of older patients and those who smoke. Oral diseases that are left unattended have also been linked to an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
Since late 2007, the founder of CRG, Dr. James Rutkowski, DMD, Ph.D., has been studying the clinical efficacy of the company’s new product OsteoXcell-1000. In his dental implant practice, Dr. Rutkowski observed that the use of OsteoXcell accelerated bone growth by 60% and that the quality of the new bone was superior to what he saw when using standard methods. Dr. Rutkowski, commented, “I was excited about the results we were getting. The growth of new bone was not only faster, but more predictable. On top of the speed and quality issues, the cost of using OsteoXcell-1000 is ten times lower. Our work will make implant dentistry considerably more affordable.”
CRG has teamed with Clarion University to create an economic opportunity in Clarion County. The company located its business on the second floor of the recently opened Gregory Barnes Center for Biotechnology and Business Development. The emergence of CRG and its pioneering bone growth product provides this region with a significant opportunity for job creation.