Regenosca wins CHF 150,000 to improve the treatment options for bladder diseases
27.11.2020
Regenosca provides an innovative solution for patient-friendly bladder reconstruction. The implants of the Lausanne-based biotech startup aim to become the curative treatment option for bladder diseases and improve the quality of life for patients. Regenosca will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick funding to manufacture a prototype to create first-in-man safety data and biocompatibility data.
 Regenosca co-founders Dr. Mattias Larsson (CEO), Dr. Eva-Maria Balet (COO), and Dr.med Kalitha Pinnagoda
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Regenosca has developed an implant as a patient-friendly alternative to patients’ own tissue patches for reconstructive surgery. The off-the-shelf and ready-to-use implant induces tissue regeneration at the implantation site: Where Regenosca’s product is implanted, it creates regular tissue. Regenosca’s patented, cost-effective, suturable, and shapeable implant leads to ideal tissue regeneration—a combination of characteristics that no other biomaterial currently on the market can achieve.
Regenosca’s first target market will be bladder reconstruction. Children born with a malformation of the bladder or suffering from a neurogenic bladder and adults diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, neurogenic bladder, or altered bladder compliance/capacity require bladder surgery to avoid life-threatening kidney damage. Currently, surgeons use a tissue patch harvested from the patient’s intestines to reconstruct the bladder. Even though using the patient’s own donor tissue is attractive because of excellent biocompatibility and tissue availability, the creation of a second operative site is a heavy burden for the patients, as this can prolong surgery time, cause pain at the harvest site, and create additional risk of complications.
Regenosca’s technology was developed in the laboratory of Prof. Frey and Prof. Hubbell at EPF Lausanne, and the startup was founded in 2019 by Dr. Mattias Larsson (CEO), Dr. Eva-Maria Balet (COO), and Dr. med. Kalitha Pinnagoda (Clinical Affairs responsible).
Focusing on patients in need of urethral and bladder reconstruction, Regenosca aims to address a market of more than EUR 580 million in Europe and the US only.The financial boost from Venture Kick will be used to manufacture a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) prototype with the purpose of creating first-in-man safety data and biocompatibility data. In parallel, the implementation of a quality management system will be accelerated. Following successful preclinical studies, the next step is to prepare a first-in-man study and achieve clinical readiness to start market approval trials in Europe and the US.
“Not only the financial support of Venture Kick was very helpful but also the input and the critical view of the coaches were very much appreciated. Each discussion and feedback helped us to enhance our business idea and develop it further. Our vision is to provide an implant to urologists, allowing them to offer bladder reconstruction without adding additional harm to the patient’s body. During the Venture Kick year, we identified the path to realize our vision,” said Regenosca COO Eva-Maria Balet.
Regenosca’s first target market will be bladder reconstruction. Children born with a malformation of the bladder or suffering from a neurogenic bladder and adults diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, neurogenic bladder, or altered bladder compliance/capacity require bladder surgery to avoid life-threatening kidney damage. Currently, surgeons use a tissue patch harvested from the patient’s intestines to reconstruct the bladder. Even though using the patient’s own donor tissue is attractive because of excellent biocompatibility and tissue availability, the creation of a second operative site is a heavy burden for the patients, as this can prolong surgery time, cause pain at the harvest site, and create additional risk of complications.
Regenosca’s technology was developed in the laboratory of Prof. Frey and Prof. Hubbell at EPF Lausanne, and the startup was founded in 2019 by Dr. Mattias Larsson (CEO), Dr. Eva-Maria Balet (COO), and Dr. med. Kalitha Pinnagoda (Clinical Affairs responsible).Focusing on patients in need of urethral and bladder reconstruction, Regenosca aims to address a market of more than EUR 580 million in Europe and the US only.The financial boost from Venture Kick will be used to manufacture a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) prototype with the purpose of creating first-in-man safety data and biocompatibility data. In parallel, the implementation of a quality management system will be accelerated. Following successful preclinical studies, the next step is to prepare a first-in-man study and achieve clinical readiness to start market approval trials in Europe and the US.
“Not only the financial support of Venture Kick was very helpful but also the input and the critical view of the coaches were very much appreciated. Each discussion and feedback helped us to enhance our business idea and develop it further. Our vision is to provide an implant to urologists, allowing them to offer bladder reconstruction without adding additional harm to the patient’s body. During the Venture Kick year, we identified the path to realize our vision,” said Regenosca COO Eva-Maria Balet.