Intralink-Spine (ILS) is a company formed to develop, manufacture, market, and sell a tissue modifying reagent that can be injected into the intervertebral disc of the human spine to increase crosslinking in the native collagen matrix. This injected reagent significantly strengthens the disc tissue, increases durability and tear resistance, and increases spinal joint stability for treatment of the largest cause of lower back pain – Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD).  This treatment is also effective in addressing the now widely recognized problem of Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD) which is an unfortunate consequence of many of the traditional and emerging surgical procedures currently being performed to treat DDD.  Our chemically made device (brace), created directly in the spinal disc, will address the unfulfilled medical need for an effective non-surgical solution which does not simply treat the symptoms and pain associated with lower back pain but mechanically corrects the cause of DDD and ASD. 
 
Our technology, NEXT (Nonsurgical EXogenous crosslink Therapy) is based on the human body’s own natural response to heal instability and degradation of the spinal disc.  The NEXT device immediately stabilizes the spinal disc reducing the pain of the patient without the costs and risks associated with surgery.  The procedure can be performed on an out-patient basis and should be completed with just one injection treatment.  Another advantage in using NEXT is that it can be administered to the patient earlier in the onset of DDD when pain and symptoms of lower back pain first present themselves; in contrast to the more traditional treatment progression where the treatment or surgery is delayed until the patient can no longer manage their daily lives in the midst of experiencing increasing lower back pain. It is commonly known that 19 out of 20 patients elect not to pursue surgery because of the associated risks even while living with episodes of pain and lost work caused by debilitating DDD.  Our laboratory and small animal testing to date has demonstrated that this is an effective and safe treatment for the prevention of Degenerative Disc Disease and the associated problem of lower back pain.