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Frost & Sullivan Acknowledges ISTO Technologies' Role in Developing Advanced Biologic Products for Bone Healing

Although spinal fusions and other orthopedic intervention methods are routinely used to eliminate back pain, surgeons are still unsure about the right choice in bone grafting materials. While autologous grafts have traditionally been considered the "gold standard" in treatment, the pain associated with harvesting autologous bone, along with an increase in operation and recovery times, and high rates of complications including donor site morbidity have made a case for alternative treatments.

"ISTO Technologies' InQu Bone Graft Extender and Substitute brings to the forefront the strengths and biological attributes of two reliable, safe, and effective biomaterials: Poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and hyaluronic acid (HyA)," explains Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Pramodh Ishwarakrishnan. "The unique InQu scaffold creates a microenvironment that is both biocompatible and conducive to new bone formation."

These two major components of the scaffold have specific contributions to the overall healing process. PLGA, while giving the three-dimensional structure to InQu, also provides a reliable resorption rate at the site of implantation. HyA has been shown to play a critical role in tissue regeneration and repair, apart from promoting the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of osteogenic cells during the early stages of normal bone formation.

"The ideal combination of PLGA and HyA offers the advantages of superior cohesiveness, molding properties, handling characteristics and consistently predictable results," observes Ishwarakrishnan. "The HyA component may provide supplementary biological cues necessary for cells to grow and for the tissue to develop, thus making InQu a versatile scaffold, superior to any osteoconductive material in the market."

The InQu Bone Graft Extender offers several advantages over existing synthetic bone graft substitutes including its unique ability to support the normal process of endochondral bone formation. It also eliminates the potential risk of infection that is common with allograft transplants.

ISTO Technologies has a team of committed scientists and staff working towards delivering high-quality orthobiologic products to the medical community. InQu has already won clearance from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a bone graft extender and substitute. The company has several InQu- related patents pending and intends to develop additional applications for the biomaterial technology in the near future.

"The company's development pipeline includes NuQu(TM), a cell-based injectable formulation of juvenile chondrocytes for nucleus regeneration of the spinal disc," notes Ishwarakrishnan. "In addition to this, the company is in clinical trials with DeNovo(R) ET, its scaffold-free living cartilage graft based on its patented cell based technology platform, to repair and regenerate damaged knee cartilage."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About ISTO Technologies, Inc.

ISTO Technologies, Inc. is a privately-held orthobiologics company based inSt. Louis, MO. The company is focused on developing breakthrough products designed to regenerate and restore damaged cartilage and bone for sports medicine injuries, trauma and spinal therapy indications. ISTO's discrete cell-based and biomaterial platforms encompass a number of technological breakthroughs that are poised to advance the practice of medicine by offering solutions for unmet and/or largely unsatisfied clinical needs in large orthopedic markets. ISTO's mix of clinical stage, development stage and marketed products includes DeNovo(R) ET, engineered cartilage to repair and restore joint function in the knee, NuQu(TM), a cell-based injectable formulation of juvenile chondrocytes for nucleus regeneration of the spinal disc and InQu(R), an osteobiologic bone graft substitute and extender. For more information about ISTO, visit http://www.istotech.com

     Contact:
     Scott Gill
     (314) 995-6049

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership(TM) empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnership Services, visit http://www.awards.frost.com.

     Contact:
     Jake Wengroff
     210.247.3806
     jake.wengroff@frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan