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Australian firm poised for UK Success in regenerative medicine

Country: Australia

An Australian regenerative medicine company, committed to improving the lives of patients suffering from serious musculoskeletal conditions, has marked its move into the European healthcare market by establishing a UK presence.

Founded in 2006 in Murdoch, Western Australia, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2014, Orthocell provides new approaches to the regeneratіоn of tendon, cartilage and the repair of soft tissue, to restore patient mobility, function and performance.

As an emerging player in the multi-billion-dollar field of regenerative medicine, the company has enjoyed success at home with its range of cell therapies, as well as in Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand. To continue its international expansion, establishing a UK base was a natural step to bring its products to the European market.

Another example of how the UK brings innovation to life

Orthocell received CE Mark approval for its bone tissue engineering product, CelGro®, in 2017, which allowed it to be marketed and distributed in Europe. Due to the UK’s world-leading position in health innovation and life sciences, and the Midlands region being home to the largest number of medical technology and device companies in the country, Birmingham was chosen as Orthocell’s new hub to launch the product in the Western Hemisphere.

The UK life sciences industry contributes over £70 billion a year to the economy and 240,000 jobs. The UK Government has invested almost £500m to support the sector, with these investments being matched by greater contributions from the industry itself.

A pioneering treatment, CelGro aids the repair and reconstruction of soft tissue injuries, such as tendon tears and guided bone regeneration in dental and orthopaedic applications.

Following CelGro’s launch in the UK in May 2018, the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) introduced Orthocell to Medilink West Midlands (Medilink WM), a health technology business that supports innovative businesses in the life sciences and medical technology sectors.

As well as introducing Orthocell to its exclusive distributor in the UK, Medilink WM facilitated connections with clinical partners, including Birmingham Dental Hospital, located in the UK’s second largest city, where CelGro was approved for use in December 2018.

Through Medilink WM’s connections with Keele University Science and Innovation Park, Orthocell also found a location for its UK HQ at the site’s Innovation Centre. With leading clinical and surgical work both in the orthopaedic trauma and dental sectors right on its doorstep, research and product development projects are currently under discussion with local hospitals.

Orthocell’s new presence in the UK has also opened up opportunities to participate in high-profile international industry events, following introductions from DIT to key research networks and institutions. In the past year, this has included presenting scientific data at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) in October 2018, and the International Osteology Symposium in Barcelona in April 2019, as well as attending the Association of Dental Implantology conference in Edinburgh in the same month.

On the back of this success, Orthocell is now working to build a strategy for introducing regenerative therapies for treating musculoskeletal diseases into the UK market.

Gregor Maier, Sales and Marketing Director, Orthocell, said: “For us, entering the UK market was a logical choice. As well as low corporate tax rates, a favourable regulatory environment, and access to a highly-skilled workforce, we were also drawn to the fact that the UK’s life science sector attracts the highest level of inward investment in Europe.

“DIT has proved instrumental in facilitating long-term clinical collaborations for us, such as our partnership with Medilink WM, as well as offering us invaluable country and sector advice, equipping us with the tools we need to be competitive in the UK market.

“We’re now in an ideal position to gain traction in this market and to expand into other rapidly growing key global markets.”

Richard Stone, CEO at Medilink WM, said: “The Midlands offers a world-class research and innovation infrastructure, access to high tech facilities and skills, as well as an established and well-connected life sciences community, making it an ideal business location for an innovative and forward-thinking health technology businesses.

“Orthocell is the type of business that we are very proud to support. We are looking forward to continuing to work with DIT, to nurture further collaborations between ambitious businesses, academics and clinicians to achieve international success and innovative breakthroughs.”

The UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) helps connect international buyers with UK goods and services to meet their needs, supports overseas companies to locate and grow in the UK, drives both inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade.