Cleveland Clinic spinoff Merlot OrthopediX Inc. has inked a marketing and development agreement with a publicly traded spinal device firm.
Carlsbad, California-based Alphatec Spine Inc. will develop and commercialize Merlot’s bone anchorage technology for use in spinal surgery, according to a statement from Merlot.
The company’s technology, which is covered by nine patents, was pioneered by Dr. Isador Lieberman, a former Cleveland Clinic spine surgeon who’s now with the Texas Back Institute in Plano. Merlot is jointly owned by the Cleveland Clinic, Lieberman and Frantz Medical Group, a Mentor, Ohio-based engineering and product development company.
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Merlot OrthopediX takes its name from a wine, because the company’s technology was inspired by a wine corkscrew, Lieberman said in the statement. The company’s spinal screws are based on a double-helix-like design that it says minimizes disruption to the bone and holds tighter once implanted than a traditional screw.
The double-helix design is ideal for less-dense or fragile bone commonly found in elderly patients or those with osteoporosis, Lieberman said.
Alphatec sees potential for the application of Merlot’s technology to the cervical, adult deformity and trauma market segments, CEO Dirk Kuyper said. Alphatec initially will focus on selling Merlot’s devices, which include bone anchors, screws and accessory instruments, in Europe before looking to launch the products globally and in the United States.
Stephanie Harrington, a vice president with Merlot and Frantz, didn’t immediately return a call.
