MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- TyRx Pharma, Inc. today announced that an independent panel of three judges on behalf of the International Hernia Congress awarded TyRx Pharma, Inc., and Forrest T. Smith, PhD, Associate Professor of Clinical Toxicology and Pharmacology, Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond), the 2006 Fruchaud Prize for Best Scientific Poster Presentation during the 3rd International Hernia Congress.
The Fruchaud Prize is named after Henri Fruchaud, M.D. (1894-1960) a French anatomist, surgeon, and pioneer in hernia surgery. The poster presentation, "Pharmacokinetic and Dermal Anesthetic Properties of an Anesthetic-Eluting Surgical Mesh," was selected from among the 90 scientific posters accepted for presentation by the 3rd International Hernia Congress. Over 160 scientific posters were submitted for consideration.
"We are extremely pleased to have received this recognition," said TyRx Chief Executive Officer, Bill Edelman, "Our collaboration with Dr. Smith demonstrates TyRx's commitment to the emerging area of Combination Medical Products, which are well represented in the hernia repair field." Mr. Edelman continued, "In December 2005, the FDA granted 510(k) clearance for TyRx's new bioresorbable polymer coated surgical mesh product, referred to as PIVIT(TM). TyRx recently launched www.pivitmesh.com, a comprehensive website discussing the capabilities of this innovative combination device for the treatment of hernia and other soft tissue defects."
This notice follows TyRx's May 15th announcement that announced that Mason Diamond, D.D.S., Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for TyRx Pharma, was selected as the Industry Representative to the FDA Devices Advisory Committee Dental Products Panel of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
In January of 2006, TyRx announced that the company entered into an exclusive license with Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for the utilization of three product patents and associated technologies developed by the two institutions for the development of innovative Cardiovascular and Surgical medical devices designed to address the problem of postsurgical nosocomial infection.
In January of 2006, TyRx announced that the company filed a 510(k) application with the FDA for its new surgical mesh coated with their novel polyarylate bioresorbable polymer containing two antimicrobial agents. The TyRx antimicrobial-coated surgical mesh is indicated for the repair of hernias and other abdominal fascial deficiencies requiring the addition of a reinforcing or bridging material to obtain the desired surgical result. The antimicrobial surgical mesh is designed to provide protection from bacterial colonization of the surgical mesh during implantation.
About TyRx Pharma Inc.
TyRx was organized in 1998 to commercialize a novel combinatorial chemistry-based biomaterials technology licensed exclusively from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, using substances such as tyrosine to build medical-grade biodegradable polymers. Using proprietary polymerization processes, TyRx efficiently creates customized polymers to meet precise product specifications. TyRx is deploying its capabilities across a broad range of combination products. The combination products sector (products incorporating both a drug & a device component) is expected to be the highest growth segment of the medical products industry and TyRx is positioned to be an innovative applications leader in the space. For more information, please visit http://www.tyrxpharma.com.
About Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the VCU Medical Center:
Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, Va., Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research and enrolls 30,000 students in more than 180 certificate, undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral programs in the arts, sciences and humanities in 15 schools and one college. Sixty of the university's programs are unique in Virginia, and 20 graduate and professional programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best of their kind. MCV Hospitals, clinics and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the leading academic medical centers in the country. For more, see http://www.vcu.edu.
SOURCE TyRx Pharma, Inc.