In conversation with Praxis SCI Incubate cohort member Purus Innovations

Purus Innovations Co-Founder Dr. Dirk Lange talks about how the company started and its innovative technology to prevent UTIs.

 

What was the deciding moment in starting the company?

Working with colleagues and patients in the urology space at the University of British Columbia, I encountered indwelling device-associated infections as a significant issue. It made an impact. There is a real need for a solution that’s actually working.

In 2008, I met Purus Innovations Co-founder Jayachandran (Jay) Kizhakkedathu during my postdoc in urologic sciences. Jay is a professor in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Centre for Blood Research, and the School of Biomedical Engineering. There was a collaboration at the university to prevent orthopedic implant infections, and Jay was the chemist developing an antimicrobial coating that needed to be tested in vivo in an animal model. I developed the in vivo model to test it, and showed how effective it was at preventing infection. Jay asked the question, “Why just orthopedic?” and I thought let’s develop it for urologic devices. The relationship took off.

There are tons of antimicrobial coatings. What sets us apart is how we looked at the research. Why have these past technologies failed? When these coatings were introduced into urine or blood – complex media with proteins – you get the deposition of a conditioning film, a physical barrier on the surface. It renders anything below it ineffective. So how could we address the deposition of the components as well as the bacteria causing infections? Everyone else was just targeting the bacteria. We developed a coating that has two unique mechanisms working together, that acts to prevent deposition of components and also kills the bacteria resulting in a clean surface.

To move the technology forward, it was clear to us that we needed to start a company and hence Purus Innovations was born. Purus is Latin for “clean” or “pure”. In the context of catheters, we’re looking at an antimicrobial technology, but it’s also antibiofouling, meaning it keeps organic and inorganic materials off the surface. Purus covers this thinking.

What led you here in terms of experience and people you met along the way?

We had – and continue to have – invaluable mentorship from key serial entrepreneurs, including Gabe Kalmar and Doug Buchanan through entrpreneurship@UBC. It was an eye-opener. Gabe and Doug got us to think about the business side, how to structure a company and IP development. As inventors we think we’ve got the greatest thing, but they introduced the idea of market research, asking questions with customers. Expert mentors have gotten us to this point.

How are you providing a solution to your customer’s needs?

Working with the Praxis SCI Incubate Program, we are focusing on people living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Individuals with SCI rely on catheters every day to empty their bladders. The introduction of bacteria into the urinary system during this process is one of the most common complications and fears faced by the SCI population. This results in a significant negative impact on their quality of life. Because of this, there is a significant need for technologies that address this issue, lowers the risk for infection associated with indwelling catheters, and lowers the use of antibiotics.

Example of a clinically used urinary catheter coated on the inside and outside surface.

Our coating technology addresses several shortcomings of current technologies. First, our coating can be applied in a single step rather than other technologies that require pre-treatment and separate coating steps to apply their coatings. Further, our technology works via multiple mechanisms: it repels organic and inorganic components known to cover and inactivate previous coating technologies rendering them ineffective (allowing bacteria to attach), and the release of an antimicrobial kills free-swimming bacteria that are repelled away from the surface. This way both the material surface as well as the urinary environment are rendered clean. It means the possibility that when introduced into an already infected environment, the infection may be treated and the long-term release allows for continued prevention of re-infection. This is currently not possible with any existing technology.

In the Praxis incubator program, it’s the urinary tract infections (UTIs) we’re looking to prevent. Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) is an important issue for individuals living with SCI and for anyone using a catheter. CAUTI is one of the leading causes of hospital acquired infections. Even decreasing the problem by 10-20% would be huge. We are potentially prolonging the time between exchanges of devices. We’re also decreasing antibiotic use. With the rise of antimicrobial resistance this is important.

Given the broad application of our technology, our customer base in the long-term will also be broad. With orthopedic implants, the treatment of infections involves the removal of the infected implant, treatment with antibiotics, and re-implantation of a new implant. This is very costly. There is also the vascular space and PICC lines used in cardiology where infections are a critical issue. Secondary bacterial infections are a problem with endotracheal tubes too. Any area of medicine where material goes inside the body – cardiology, urology, vascular, orthopedic – there’s an application.

How are you validating this technology?

I’m a skeptical person when acting as a consultant for others. Innovators will say “I have this great tech for antimicrobial stuff.” I need to test it with my own hands and verify that’s the case. Validation has been done on bench as well as using small and large-animal catheter-associated urinary tract infection models that most closely mimic the human scenario.

Representative Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on uncoated and coated surfaces after 14 days and 28 days incubation under flow conditions and daily addition of 10⁶ bacteria.

We are thinking globally. Bacteria don’t know borders. It’s a problem everywhere. We want to make an impact here locally, nationally – we want to make an impact around the world.

 

Efficacy of our coating to prevent biofilm formation of different bacterial species on the surface of coated urinary catheter following 28 days of exposure under flow conditions and daily addition of 10⁶ bacteria.

How do you engage and motivate people who identify potential business development opportunities for your company?

One of the aspects that sets us apart is the fact that we have a platform technology that is customizable. This means that we are able to engage more directly with clients and develop a solution for their specific needs. The first coating is the antifouling version of the coating. The other coatings build on that. We can customize these coatings by varying the thickness or the type of molecule to be released. We are open to many different applications for our coating technology, including those that we are not aware of yet. We will sit down and listen to anyone who has ideas for potential business development opportunities for us.

We are thinking globally. Bacteria don’t know borders. It’s a problem everywhere. We want to make an impact here locally, nationally – we want to make an impact around the world. SCI consumer mentors in the Praxis incubator talk about issues around catheter use in developing countries. If we can keep it sterile for 90 days, that’s huge. The potential impact on developing countries isn’t something we had thought of before.

What do you hope to get out of SCI Incubate?

One of the most important aspects for us is consumer engagement. This has already been an eye opener for us, as we have learned so much about the needs of individuals living with SCI around catheters and other aspects as well. In this program, we are developing a customized solution with consumers in mind, which also sets us apart from our competitors. The solution we are providing individuals living with SCI to the urinary tract infections they develop as a result of catheter use will be significant. UTIs are one of the most common complications faced by this population.

 

Learn more about the Praxis SCI Incubate Program.