Glycopatch as an adjunct in lung surgery for reducing the incidence, extent, and severity of postoperative air leaks, the most common complication after pulmonary surgery. These air leaks increase hospital length of stay (LOS) by 5 to 13 days, which can double the cost of hospitalization and increase the risk of complications, such as atelectasis, pneumonia, empyema, and chest drains.
Dr. Steven Mentzer from Brigham and Women’s Hospital created Glycopatch, a pectin-based, biocompatible, and bioabsorbable sealant. Glycopatch is made of a plant-derived polymer formulation optimized to adhere strongly to visceral organ surfaces. Glycopatch is available as a translucent elastic patch that can be trimmed to size and flexed to fit and cover the target site. Glycopatch is 10x stronger in adhesion than commercially available materials.
Air leaks after pulmonary surgery or pulmonary injury is a complication that extends duration of hospitalization and often requires the use of chest tubes. The average cost of a hospital day is $11,700, and occurrence of pleural air leaks can double that. Furthermore, postoperative chest tubes are painful and distressing for patients and are associated with higher risks of infection and mortality; it is the number one patient complaint (>80%) after thoracic surgery.
The cost of “prolonged” air leaks (more than 7 days) annually to the U.S. health care system is estimated at $300 million. Additionally, prolonged air leaks increase the rate of readmission within 30 days by 20%. In a study of pleurectomy patients at the Brigham, it was found that a 50% improvement in air leak control would have saved the hospital more than $1 million.
The use of Glycopatch technology will reduce hospital length of stay and could even convert certain thoracic surgeries to outpatient procedures. Reduced incidence of pleural air leaks offers the benefits of reduced morbidity, fewer post-surgical complication, and reduced need for chest tubes. Glycopatch offers a cost-effective adhesive and sealant solution to pleural air leaks that improves patient outcomes and productivity.
Steven Mentzer, MD
Dr. Mentzer is a thoracic surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. He is also a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and the principal investigator for The Mentzer Lab. Dr. Mentzer’s research interests include lung diseases, thoracic cancers, and minimally invasive surgery of the lungs and esophagus. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and is board certified in surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and surgical critical care.
Sthuthi Jebaraj, MBBS, MPH, MBA
Associate Director, Business Development & Licensing, Mass General Brigham Innovation
sjebaraj@mgb.org
Glycopatch technology has been demonstrated in pre-clinical animal models to be an effective a sealant of pleural leaks with a 4–10x stronger tissue bond than commercially available product solutions. Glycopatch elicited no detectable tissue or inflammatory reaction. A 2–3-min development time is sufficient to seal air leaks under positive pressure with no significant compromise of lung expansion. The sealant was resorbed, without detectable adhesions or pleural effusions, within one week after application.
Glycopatch is primarily composed of pectin, a plant-derived, biocompatible, and bioabsorbable hydrogel material. Glycopatch is a pre-formed elastic film patch that can be trimmed by the surgeon and molded to fit and cover the wound site. It is simple to apply. The patch is strongly adherent to visceral organs due to a molecular structure homologous to glycocalyx tissue present on the organ surface.
The estimated number of pulmonary operations appropriate for GlycoPatch is estimated to be 300,000 cases per year in the U.S. (sts.org). This number is likely to significantly increase with the ongoing development of minimally invasive delivery devices, as well as extension of indication to other organs, such as liver and intestine. The global market for medical adhesives and sealants was estimated at $8.1 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $12.8 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% (businesswire.com).
United States Provisional Application 62/492,363
United States Provisional Application 63/147,601
United States Provisional Application 63/322,262
United States Utility Application 15/967,071- Issued US patent number 10912858
United States Continuation Application 17/164,270
WIPO PCT Application PCT/US2022/015820