Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine has been granted a new Indian Patent on ‘Woven fabric implants for Intraperitoneal Therapy’. The developers of this product are Dr. Shantikumar V Nair, Dean, and Director of ACNSMM, Dr. Deepthy Menon, Professor, Nanobioengineering group, ACNSMM, and Dr. Smriti Padmakumar, Former PhD student at ACNSMM and currently working as a Scientist in Drug Product Development at Spark Therapeutics, USA. A major highlight of this patented technology (IPO 393515) is that it allows patients with ovarian cancer in the advanced stages to lead a hassle-free life without regular chemotherapy cycles and its accompanying side effects. This has been made possible by implanting a drug-eluting fabric in the peritoneal cavity after surgically removing the tumor. This biodegradable fabric then elutes the loaded chemotherapeutic drug in a sustained manner for over three months and more, thus facilitating a good therapeutic outcome by localized drug delivery, without the need for any catheters or regular infusions.
According to the consensus document for management of epithelial ovarian cancer report prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ovarian cancer is the third most common cancer among Indian women and eighth overall as per the Globocan 2018 Fact sheet, constituting 3.44% (36170) of all cancer cases. It is also a leading cause of death from cancer in Indian women, with 3.34% (24015) of all cancer deaths in India in the same year. While a 5-year survival from ovarian cancer has a chance of 94% when diagnosed in Stage I, unfortunately only 15% of cases are diagnosed at this stage.
Congratulations to the developers of this technology which can ease the life of many suffering from cancer! The center has been granted thirty patents among which 13 are international. The systematic hard work and dedicated research leading to products reflect on the sense of deep commitment shared by the family at ACNSMM to society and mankind. Join us in our fight against cancer, the emperor of maladies!
