University City-based Vitara Biomedical is currently working on an artificial womb for premature babies and is getting closer to human clinical trials, writes Liz Essley Whyte for The Wall Street Journal.

Last year, a Vitara Biomedical executive said at a biotech symposium last year that the firm is in the process of commercializing the research of one of two groups in the United States known to be testing the technology on lambs.

The other group stated it is still several years off from human trials.

The artificial womb created by Vitara looks like a plastic bag that has connected tubes, some of which are used to deliver fresh amniotic fluid while others are there to provide oxygen and medications to the fetus through umbilical blood vessels.

Scientists are aiming for the artificial womb to nurture premature babies born at 23 to 25 weeks of gestational age. This would allow their lungs to develop for at least a few more weeks in a fluid environment that is helpful to their growth.

The company’s leaders have noted that the FDA has designated their technology as a “breakthrough therapy,” which means that it will aim to make a quicker decision on whether to approve Vitara’s product.

Read more about Vitara Biomedical and their work on an artificial womb for premature babies in The Wall Street Journal.

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