The drug delivery and biomaterial attributes of the ATRIGEL technology in the treatment of periodontal disease.
Two new products, ATRIDOX Periodontal Treatment and ATRISORB Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) Barrier have been evaluated as therapies for periodontal disease. Both products are based on the unique ATRIGEL technology. The system consists of a solution of a resorbable polymer in a biocompatible carrier. On in vivo administration, the polymer undergoes a phase change from a liquid to an in situ formed implant. Being in liquid form, it initially provides the advantage of in vivo placement by simple means, such as syringes to form implants at the site of use. The system is biocompatible and has the capability of serving as a biomaterial and a drug delivery system. The bioabsorption rates of various polymers and the release rates for a wide variety of drugs ranging from simple organics to proteins and peptides are tailored to the desired indication. Release periods ranging from one week to four months have been achieved with one month being the most often desired. For these reasons the ATRIGEL system is being applied to a number of medical applications ranging from site and systemic oncology to post-operative pain control and bone regeneration using growth factors. However, its most visible application to date has been in the development of a pipeline of products for the treatment of periodontal disease, which is the focus of this paper.
Atrix Laboratories, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
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Southard
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Dunn
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Garrett