Giamatrix – almost living skin

Second skin 
Yulia Gordienko, The Secret of the Firm magazine   № 5-2010
Published on the Nanonewsnet websiteThe inventor of artificial bio-skin, Ramil Rakhmatullin, claims that in a few years he will be able to grow components of human internal organs.

He, of course, is unlikely to be able to reproduce an arm or leg, but a fragment of the liver or pancreas is quite. In the meantime, he is engaged in the restoration of the outer coverings.

The invention of Ramil Rakhmatullin is a bioplastic material "Giamatrix" (a flexible plate based on a biopolymer of hyaluronic acid) – when applied to a burn or wound, it not only closes the damaged area, actually sticking to it, but also helps to heal as soon as possible, as it resolves. The ability to dissolve inside the wound allows you to avoid painful dressings for burn patients. According to Rakhmatullin, no other bio-skin in the world has such a property.

In 2008, the Federal Fund for Assistance to the Development of Small Forms of Entrepreneurship in the Scientific and Technical Sphere, within the framework of the Start program, invested 2.25 million rubles in bio-leather. And in December 2009, the project had a private investor, entrepreneur Oleg Pozdnyakov, who invested about 15 million rubles in bio-leather. By the autumn, when Rakhmatullin hopes to complete negotiations with the state corporation "Rusnano", we will talk about more serious investments – 250 million rubles. With this money, on the basis of Orenburg State University, which will also receive a share in the project, he plans to build a full cycle of bio–leather production – from raw materials to the final product - about 150 thousand bio-leather plates measuring 10x15 cm per year.

According to the research company Pharmexpert, in 2008 the market for artificial human skin substitutes in Russia was $40-50 million, while the market could potentially add 30% per year. The deterrent factor is the high cost of products. The most successful development in this area is a polymer based on chemically modified hyaluronic acid HYAFF (produced by the medical and biotechnological concern Tissue Tech), which, according to Pharmexpert, occupied half of the Russian market in the same year 2008. HYAFF packaging with an area of 75 sq. m. cm costs about $135, while Ramil Rakhmatullin is going to sell 150 sq. cm of "Giamatrix" for $40.

So far, the main problem of Rakhmatullin's project is the lack of necessary medical certificates. The company will receive them, according to optimistic estimates, in 2010, according to pessimistic estimates – in 2011. Rakhmatullin, however, does not waste time in vain: in November last year, he brought to the market a cosmetic anti–aging drug - a peptide complex based on the same hyaluronic acid. Rakhmatullin produces 3-5 thousand bottles per month at an average price of $ 30, which he sells through pharmacies in Orenburg, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg.

In March, Rakhmatullin launched a cosmetic version of bio-skin (it is slightly thinner and smaller in area, and also requires a simpler certification procedure) for plastic surgery, dermabrasion (facial resurfacing) and peeling, which will be purchased mainly by beauty salons. The main consumers of the classic "Giamatrix" are hospitals and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, with which the scientist has already signed declarations of intent and negotiated the volume of supplies, waiting for documents. Then the product will appear in pharmacies: using the product of nanotechnology, promises Rakhmatullin, will be as simple as a plaster.

Vladimir Grigorashenko, Director of Venture Projects Development at Alfa-Capital Management Company:
– This is a company from the pharmaceutical industry, and the entry barriers are high here. At first glance, the project is attractive for investment. However, it is worth remembering the risks that are primarily associated with product certification and the costs of sales channels. It is necessary to clearly understand how long the certification will take and whether the initiator has the necessary documents, certificates and resources for its passage.

Alexey Kurasov, Head of Corporate Finance Department of IC Finam:
– This is a free niche within the country and poorly developed on a global scale. They are bribed by the high competitiveness of products (judging by the figures given, it can be about seven times cheaper than foreign analogues), as well as the pace and potential of development of this market segment. In the USA and Europe, its annual volume is estimated at about $15 billion. The growth prospects for long-term investment are very attractive.

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11.05.2010