Imagine filling a pothole in a road with a special glue that doesn't just plug the hole, but actually turns back into a real road. This gel is injected into damaged knee joints to stop scar tissue from forming and help the body regrow its own natural cartilage. It bonds to the existing joint and slowly disappears as the new, healthy tissue takes over.
Current cartilage repair options are either ineffective (leading to osteoarthritis) or prohibitively expensive and complex (cell-based therapies). There is a need for a minimally invasive, cost-effective solution that restores true hyaline cartilage.
An injectable, biodegradable hydrogel that binds covalently to cartilage and promotes the regrowth of hyaline tissue. The project also produced clinical safety and performance data from 46 total patients.
If you are a specialized orthopedic clinic dealing with patients who have traumatic focal defects—this project developed an injectable hydrogel that allows the body to heal itself by creating true Hyaline cartilage. This provides a long-lasting repair that can postpone or prevent osteoarthritis.
If you are a care center dealing with high-performance athletes needing fast revalidation—this project developed a biodegradable gel where cartilage regrowth follows the degradation of the gel. This ensures a fast return to activity and avoids expensive cell-based therapies.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the high cost and complexity of cell-based cartilage treatments—this project developed a syringe-delivered hydrogel that is used during a standard one-time arthroscopy. It offers results on par with expensive cell-based therapies but with a simpler delivery method.
Based on available project data, the hydrogel is positioned as a more affordable alternative to expensive cell-based therapies while delivering comparable patient comfort results.
The EIC Accelerator grant was used to scale up the business, moving the product from TRL 6 to TRL 8 and preparing for US market expansion via FDA filing.
The project has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and is preparing an IDE submission for November 2024 to enter the US market.
FDA trials are expected to start at the end of 2025 or early 2026, following the IDE submission in November 2024.
The hydrogel is delivered via a syringe during a standard one-time arthroscopy, making it easily integrable into current clinical practices.
The project is led by a single SME, HY2CARE BV from the Netherlands, which received a 100% industry-led funding allocation of EUR 2,500,000. This lean structure indicates a fast-track commercialization strategy focused on clinical validation and regulatory approval rather than academic research.
Contact HY2CARE BV in the Netherlands
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for this TRL 8 cartilage repair technology.
