Governor Tony Evers Tours Stratatech production facility with DSPS Secretary Dawn Crim, UW–Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank

MADISON, Wis.  –   Last week Gov. Tony Evers toured the Stratatech production facility in Madison and observed a product demonstration with Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dawn Crim and UW–Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank.

Stratatech Corporation (“Stratatech”), a subsidiary of Mallinckrodt plc, a global biopharmaceutical company, manufactures StrataGraft^®, a bioengineered allogeneic cellular construct that can be used in place of grafted skin when treating burn victims. The company received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in June 2021 and its pharmacy manufacturing license from the Pharmacy Examining Board, which is administered by DSPS, in July. This cleared the way for the Stratatech to distribute its product for commercial use, and the company is now authorized to distribute StrataGraft® in 45 states, with 5 pending final approval.

StrataGraft was born in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health laboratory of Dr. Lynn Allen-Hoffmann, who in 1996 discovered a type of human skin cells that could be developed into the regenerative burn treatment material. She founded Stratatech in 2000, and Mallinckrodt acquired the company in 2016.

“This is an exciting product that will make a profound difference for burn victims during their recoveries,” said Gov. Evers. “It is no surprise to me that this innovation was discovered right here in Wisconsin on the UW-Madison campus and developed with support from partners in government and the health care industry. This is a home-grown success that will create jobs, inspire future innovation, and change lives.”

Joining Gov. Evers, Chancellor Blank, and Secretary Crim for the presentation and tour were Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Deputy Secretary Sam Rikkers, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation CEO Erik Iverson, and University Research Park Managing Director Aaron Olver.  Mallinckrodt Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Steven Romano, Senior Director of Research, Strategy, and Innovation Dr. Allen Comer, and Site Director Sara Pirnstill led the group through parts of the facility, presented an overview of the company history, and conducted a product demonstration where attendees could handle samples of StrataGraft.

“We are grateful for the integral role that UW-Madison and state and federal government played in the development of StrataGraft®,” Dr. Romano said. “We were thrilled to demonstrate this innovation and celebrate the significant milestone that this represents because we didn’t get here alone. This is a shared success and a culmination of two decades of work.”

Secretary Crim agreed. “Playing a role in bringing life-changing innovations like StrataGraft to light—that is one of the most rewarding parts of our work,” Crim said. “This is a great example of what we can do when we collaborate across government, academia, and industry, and the exciting thing is that Wisconsin is doing it every single day. I am proud to be a part of it.”

The Department of Safety and Professional Services issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, runs the state fire prevention program, and maintains the award-winning Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to address the opioid epidemic. A fee-based agency, the Department of Safety and Professional Services is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With five offices and 250 employees throughout Wisconsin, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.