In Finland, BonAlive Biomaterials Ltd. developed and used bioglass in clinical trials in a variety of European countries to treat osteomyelitis, a chronic bone infection which can lead to amputation if not treated. The results were astounding – 90% of the 116 patients made a full recovery. Why didn’t they use antibiotics to treat it instead, since it is a bacterial disease? Antibiotic resistance is increasingly a challenge, making it useless to treat some infections, like this bone infection, with any kind of antibiotic. The bioglass treatment is also easier on patients and eventually the bioglass is replaced by bone.
Dr. Fredrik Ollila, CEO of BonAlive Biomaterials, told BusinessWire, “To overcome the reliance on antibiotics, collaboration is needed on all levels of society. In addition to regenerating new bone, bioactive glass is able to inhibit bacterial growth without local antibiotics. This is a significant step forward compared to the conventional treatment.”