BTG TO LICENSE INNOVATIVE 'LIGHT-SWITCHABLE' TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY SMITH & NEPHEW

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BTG TO LICENSE INNOVATIVE 'LIGHT-SWITCHABLE' TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY SMITH & NEPHEW
24 April 2001 - BTG

BTG International, a world leader in technology transfer, has signed an agreement with Smith & Nephew, the global medical device company, to commercialise certain applications of Smith & Nephew's innovative light switchable adhesive technology.

The adhesives allow virtually pain-free removal of wound dressings and adhesive bandages. Conventional adhesives used to cover wounds can cause damage on removal, however, the new technology allows the adhesive to be 'de-activated' by peeling off a backing strip and exposing it to light for a number of seconds. The dressing can then be removed without trauma to the patient or the wound.

LSAs are believed to have potential outside the wound-care applications in such areas as transdermal drug delivery systems (e.g. nicotine patches), medical electrodes/tapes and other non-medical areas. The technology was developed by Dr Ian Webster at Smith & Nephew's Group Research Centre in York, UK.

"Opportunities to apply the technology outside wound-care certainly exist." commented Dr Gareth Lloyd-Jones, Managing Director of Smith & Nephew's Group Research Centre. "To fully realise the further potential of the technology, we believe a more focused approach is necessary and that BTG can provide the best means of achieving this."

Martin Sandford, Director of Operations for BTG's Health Medical and BioTechnologies Division, said: "BTG is delighted to be commercialising this technology and several major companies have already expressed an interest in its possibilities. BTG works with a variety of organisations to maximise the value of its intellectual property assets by out-licensing, taking on the associated risk and expense of accessing non-core technology applications and sharing the royalties generated with the source."

BTG is currently looking for companies with an interest in novel/advanced adhesives to commercialise this opportunity fully. Licences are available for some medical and all non-medical applications.

http://www.btgplc.com

About: BTG
BTG is an intellectual property and technology commercialisation company that operates internationally. BTG creates value by investing in intellectual property and technology development, and in early stage ventures. We realise value through technology licensing, patent assertion and sale of equity investments. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we apply intellectual property and commercial expertise, together with specialist skills in science and technology, to create major product opportunities in the health and high tech sectors. BTG has commercialised important innovations, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multilevel Cell Memory, Campath (alemtuzumab), the first monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and recombinant Factor IX blood clotting protein. BTG operates through wholly owned subsidiaries BTG International Ltd and BTG International Inc in the UK and USA, respectively.

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