close
close

Engineer – Bioresorbable materials specialists raise £3.4m

Posted on by darion

4D Medicine, a spin-out from the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick, has received funding from Oshen Holdings, DSW Ventures, SFC Capital, Boundary Capital and private investors. This will enable 4D to complete pre-clinical testing of its first range of products and gain FDA approval to enter the US market.

4D’s biomaterial is believed to have potential for use in 3D-printed implants and surgical devices.

In a statement, Doug Quinn, partner at DSW Ventures, said: “The new 4D biomaterial platform opens up new possibilities for implants and devices. The company has already attracted the attention of large industry players, including a potential acquirer. This funding will enable the company to apply for regulatory approval in the US and target the £5 billion market opportunity for resorbable medical devices.”

The company’s product—a photocurable resin called 4Degra—is a resorbable biomaterial used to develop implants, such as orthopedic devices or soft tissue scaffolds, to help patients recover from surgery or injury. Initial tests have shown that as healing progresses, the biomaterial gradually erodes and is absorbed by normal metabolic processes as natural tissue regrows in its place.

MORE FROM MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE

With some materials, the entire product breaks down quickly, creating acidic byproducts that can cause pain, inflammation, and cysts. According to 4D, 4Degra breaks down gradually, starting at the surface, and does not release harmful acidic byproducts.

4Degra can be cast or 3D printed to create complex geometries. Because it can be manufactured in soft and hard forms, it has the potential to be used in flexible products such as membranes, or where a stiffer product is required, such as bone scaffolds.

4D Medicine was founded in 2020 as a spin-out from the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick and is now based in Nottingham. The latest funding brings its total raised to £5m. The company is currently preparing to raise a Series B investment early next year.

4D CEO Philip Smith said: “The funds will be used to complete pre-clinical testing of our first range of medical products and prepare to enter the orthopaedic market.”