Bacterin of Belgrade, MT selected as one of "25 Breakout Companies of 2005" by Fortune Magazine

Sprung from a government-sponsored microbiology lab, Bacterin’s anti-infective coatings, when applied to medical devices like catheters or orthopedic implants, kill or inhibit bacteria and prevent the spread of infection. The coatings consist of thin films that contain a biologically active substance, so the body reads the device—say, a knee implant—not as an alien hunk of metal but as friendly bone. Medical-device makers Baxter International, C.R. Bard, and Cook have agreed to use Bacterin’s coatings on their products, which could boost revenues from $7.6 million this year to a projected $23 million in 2006.

The Pentagon has given Bacterin $1.4 million to fight infections by coating the metal rods and pins medics use to treat arm and leg wounds on the battlefield. With an IPO possible by 2008, that’s a fight worth investing in. — Matthew Boyle

Bacterin

Technology: Anti-infective coatings

Sector: Biotech

Headquarters: Belgrade, MT

Website: http://www.bacterin.com

Contact: Mitch Godfrey [email protected] 406-388-0480

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/breakout/snapshot/0,23871,23,00.html