Biocompatibles International

Biocompatibles International PLC engages in manufacturing advanced biomedical polymers for medical devices and drug delivery. The Company is focused on developing products that will improve patient outcomes in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer and benign tumours. Products and Programmes Bead Block Bead Block is a compressible, visibly-tinted polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microsphere supplied in convenient prefilled syringes for use in embolisation therapy. Embolisation therapy is a minimally invasive (non-surgical) procedure performed by interventional radiologists to treat tumours or vascular malformations by blocking the blood flow to the targeted area. Embolisation therapy is a minimally invasive (non-surgical) treatment for: Hypervascularised tumours - abnormal growths of benign or malignant tissue which proliferate due to the over-development of blood vessels supplying the area Arteriovenous malformations - an abnormal shunt between artery and vein that bypasses the normal capillary bed and can cause complications During the procedure, an embolic material (often composed of tiny particles or beads made from a biomedical polymer) is injected into selected vessels to block the blood flow feeding the tumour or malformation, causing it to shrink over time. Embolisation is commonly used to treat a number of conditions, including: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - liver cancer tumours, Uterine fibroids - benign hypervascularised tumours of the uterus, which can cause pain, bleeding and infertility, Varicose veins and Aneurysms. Drug Eluting Beeds Biocompatibles combines its expertise in drug elution with the N-fil Technology (embolic microspheres) to develop a drug-eluting bead for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or Liver Cancer. Chemo-embolisation, already an established treatment for HCC, involves combining two treatments in one procedure: chemotherapy and embolisation therapy. A chemotherapeutic drug is first mixed with a substance to increase its viscosity and then injected into the target area. An embolic agent is then administered in order to block blood flow to the area and seal in as much of the drug as possible (and prevent rapid washout of the drug). Chemo-embolisation combines chemotherapy with embolisation therapy to treat malignant tumours such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, or primary liver cancer) and colorectal metasteses to the liver. Biocompatibles is developing a drug-eluting bead for chemo-embolisation.