Stratatech receives nearly $1 million

Madison, Wis. - Stratatech Corp. was awarded a federal Phase II SBIR grant of $922,000 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to further develop its engineered human skin products.

Established in 2000, Stratatech is based in Madison and employs 18 people, according to the 2005 edition of the Greater Madison Wisconsin Area Directory of High-Tech Companies. Its products are based on a source of pathogen-free human skin cells that are able to multiply indefinitely, a technology first identified at UW-Madison.

The limiting factor in healing chronic wounds such as ulcers is the patient’s blood supply. The company’s goal is to develop skin tissue that promotes the formation of blood vessels in chronic wounds, thus providing more blood and improving the healing process.

Stratatech is also working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assess the safety and effectiveness of its StrataGraft engineered skin tissue product for treating burn victims.