UNAIR NEWS – In 2021, there are four innovative products from Universitas Airlangga that received funding from the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Innovation. The four products are IHSAN: Modern miswak toothbrush with a refillable brush; ERYZOL: Dental gel from Hyaluronan for postoperative wound healing of teeth and mouth; BHAGALEN: Injectable Bone Substitute, Bovin Hydroxyapatite – Gelatin – Alendronate based IBS; and HAND-PRO (HAND ROBOTICAL EXOSKELETON): Hand movement aid for stroke patients.
Bhagalen is developed by Dr. Aniek Setiya Budiatin, Apt., M.Si., lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy UNAIR. Bhagalen is an innovation in the form of injectable bone fillers for bone fractures and osteoporosis that oral drugs cannot handle.
Aniek revealed that the product was in the form of a powder and a solvent. This powder is mixed and then injected into the cavities, both fractures and osteoporotic bones.
Bhagalen consists of bovine hydroxyapatite, gelatin and alendronate. Bovin hydroxyapatite is a powder obtained from cow bones. The cow bones are produced in-house in UNAIR’s Teaching Industry to reduce imports of materials.
Aniek explained that the composition of Bhagalen consists of 80 per cent hydroxyapatite which is part of the components of bone so that it is easily recognized by the bones and can fuse well.
“So far, the bones whose holes have not been handled are replaced with the patient’s bones, and if the holes are large and filled with the bones themselves, it will hurt other parts,” she said.
“So I filled it with hydroxyapatite and gelatin, which are the same as bone components,” she continued.
Aniek also explained that bone has two components besides cells and water, organic and inorganic. The organic component used in Bhagalen is gelatin, and the inorganic is hydroxyapatite.
Before in the form of injection, the bone substitution research for her dissertation was in the form of pellets to fill the bone.
“With the current form, injection, it can reach if the bone is bent or the hole is small. It looks like toothpaste so that it can penetrate small holes,” she explained.
Interestingly, with this Bhagalen, all the damage to the bones can be treated. Bones that are damaged due to fractures or holes continued Aniek; to recover quickly, injections can be made to form new bones to prevent deformities.
“It should be faster (to coalesce, ed) with the injection due to the wider surface shape so that it will take about a month,” she explained.
She also said that this injection model is still rare in Indonesia because of its high price. For this reason, Aniek hoped that Bhagalen would be used widely at a more affordable price.
Furthermore, Bhagalen’s innovation uses an organic component in the form of gelatin. In circulation today, many use inorganic components in the form of hydroxyapatite only.
Aniek hoped that her innovation could be widely recognized and used so people in need can be helped and avoid bone defects. In practice, this bone replacement injection will be disseminated first to orthopaedic doctors because it has never existed before. (*)
Author: Tata Ferliana
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
