Nerites Technology
Wins Scientific Accolades
Anti-fouling medical device coatings developed by Nerites Corporation, Madison, WI, have received several recent awards recognizing innovation in medical technology. Collaborators at the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute tested urinary stents coated with Nerites’ polymers, and demonstrated a significant reduction in animal infection levels. Unlike active antibiotic-releasing coatings, which cannot protect against resistant bacterial strains, the Nerites technology passively prevents bacteria from attaching to the medical device and forming an infectious biofilm. In this way, the passive coating may have both greater efficacy and fewer side effects than active coatings. Re­cognition for this work includes: First place in the New Investigator Competition at the 2008 Society for Infection and Inflammation in Urology Annual Meeting; Top Research Poster at the 61st Annual Meeting of The Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand; First place in the Basic Science Division at the 2007 Endourological Society Fellowship Essay Competition; and Publication in the Journal of Endourology in June 2008.