“This collaboration with the CDC illustrates the progress we continue to make with our infectious disease program,” said Steven Porter, chairman & CEO of Ceragenix. “Working with the CDC will strengthen our pursuit of an effective long-lasting antimicrobial coating for medical devices.”
A biofilm is a slime-like multicellular bacterial colony that may form when bacteria attach to medical devices such as catheters, vascular grafts or endotracheal tubes.
Biofilms may cause infections that are resistant to conventional antibiotics. These infections are of significant medical concern. According to the CDC, infections associated with central venous catheters account for 250,000 cases of blood stream infections annually.
The attributable mortality for such infections is estimated to range between 12% to 25% and the annual costs of caring for patients with central venous catheter infections may be as high as $2.3 billion.