FibroFix™ is formed from Fibroin: the unique protein that gives silkmoth and spider silks their exceptional physical properties
Silk: The natural solution
Silk is a remarkable natural material. Spun by Silmoths and spiders, it is many times as tough as high tensile steel while also being elastic, resilient and biocompatible – ideal qualities for repairing cartilage tissue. Orthox’s FibroFix™ implants are manufactured using organically certified, medical grade silk fibres produced from the mulberry silkmoth, Bombyx mori.
Reprocessing Silk Fibroin proteins to capture exceptional strength
During processing at Orthox we extract and purify the protein, Fibroin, which gives silk fibres their great strength and resilience. Using patented methods which preserve the structure and function of the Fibroin protein, FibroFix™ implants are formed from solutions of Fibroin molecules, using the unique methods spiders have developed to spin their silk webs. Tougher than Kevlar, spider silk is the strongest of all silk fibres and by recreating the processes evolved by spiders to align Fibroin molecules we enable these superior mechanical properties to be harnessed in our FibroFix™ implants.
Silky smooth and inherently regenerative
Our novel manufacturing enables FibroFix™ Cartilage to emulate the tough, resilient nature of human cartilage, and by engineering an ultrasmooth, self-lubricating, low friction surface on the implant the recapitulation of cartilage function is completed. Combined with the natural regenerative capacity of Fibroin this gives patients the possibility of a rapid return to normal activity with the peace of mind provided by a fully functional implant that is supplemented over time by integration of their body’s own natural tissue.
Unique: A biomaterial platform with unparalleled pipeline potential
FibroFix™ biomaterial offers a platform with unparalleled potential for pipeline product development in tough to treat medical indications which demand a combination of exceptional physical properties and tissue regenerative capability. Initially focusing on roll-out of cartilage implants in further major joints beyond the knee, Orthox expects to diversify the FIbroFix™ product range into other critical areas of medical need including gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular and reconstructive surgery.