Originmedtech: Building a technology platform for biodegradable metal magnesium materials

"We want to take what's developed in the lab and use it instead of just being a paper or a patent locked away in a drawer." Dr. Zhang Xiaonong told arterial network the original intention of entrepreneurship is very simple, "but the market did not see similar innovative products, so we inevitably think that the risk is greater. Since we recognize its value and have the ambition to convert it, we will do it ourselves."

Dr. Zhang Xiaonong is the Deputy Director of the Joint Research Center for Biomedical Materials, School of Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He is also the founder of Suzhou Origin MedTech Technology Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as OriginMedTech). In 2010, by chance, Olizi Medical was officially settled in the Science and Technology Park of Changshu Economic and Technological Development Zone in Suzhou.

And "It in the lab" is the biodegradable metal magnesium that Origin MedTech revolves around. In the field of biomedical materials, degradable and absorbable magnesium has attracted much attention. It is a kind of metal material with good biocompatibility, degradability and mechanical strength, and has great application prospects in implant devices.

At present, Origin MedTech has set up a technology platform for biodegradable magnesium metal materials, and arranged the research and development of medical devices in many fields, such as minimally invasive surgery, orthopedic sports medicine, medical beauty and interventional medicine.

Dr. Zhang Xiaonong told us that from the perspective of materials, the cycle from research and development to use of industrial materials is about 10 years, while medical materials are at least about 15 years. Globally, the new century has begun with large-scale technological development for the degradable metal magnesium. The relevant exploration and research has been carried out relatively early in China. For example, Dr. Zhang Xiaonong's team has been conducting research since 2002.

The birth and development of new things are always accompanied by twists and turns. From the early days when people did not believe that the metal implant could be degraded and absorbed, to the rush after preliminary studies proved the feasibility, the development of biodegradable magnesium has gone from doubtful to fanatical. But much of that enthusiasm has been dampened by the sheer difficulty of regulating the rate of degradation of magnesium implants and matching it to tissue growth. For example, in orthopedic applications, if the bone has not yet healed, but the nail has already degraded, such degradability is not practical for treatment.

Around 2013, the domestic research on degradable magnesium metal reached the bottom. At the same time, the industry also began to wash the sand. The surviving enterprises and teams start with different materials preparation processes, surface improvement treatment, product improvement structure design and other methods, and the industry is once again entering the climbing period.

The industry is steadily climbing, and OriginMedTech is following its own path. In terms of team, OriginMedTech is backed by Jiaotong University and has a solid technical team since its inception. Other than that, it's starting from scratch. According to the market law and enterprise development law, OriginMedTech has completed the establishment of research and development, production, quality control, registration and other links of the team, and with the promotion of product registration, the expansion of its market team is in preparation.

In the words of Dr. Zhang Xiaonong, "the construction of the team itself should be based on the needs of the development of the enterprise. When it reaches a certain stage, it is natural to set up a corresponding professional team, and there is a process of progress." The OriginMedTech team now has more than 100 employees and is divided into three major groups: a materials team focused on the manufacture of biodegradable magnesium; R&d team of innovative medical device design; And the medical team behind each product.

In terms of research and development, the process from university laboratory results to company products is also long. The key point of university research is to prove the feasibility. A certain number of successful tests in every 100 tests can indicate the feasibility. Medical products are related to the life and health of patients and require 100% stable quality. This requires changing the thinking mode on campus, making large quantities of repeated trials and verification of products, and carrying out strict quality control. To realize the transformation from university research results to enterprise products, this is also a must cross the past.

Specifically, it is reflected in the material itself first. The composition design and preparation process of materials will affect the final mechanical properties and degradation properties of materials, which will lead to differences in biological evaluation. And only through the biological evaluation criteria, the feasibility of the first step.

Secondly, the device product design needs to be combined with the material properties. Few of the existing design and manufacturing standards are suitable for biodegradable magnesium alloys. Especially for the degradation performance of the implant, the different use environment such as the implantation site and surgical operation will affect the degradation performance of the implant. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify different scenes and carry out targeted design to adapt the device.

Originmedtech is an innovative research and development company that focuses on both materials and devices. Based on the biodegradable and absorbable metal "magnesium" material technology platform, OriginMedTech is engaged in minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, interventional medicine, medical beauty and other fields.

来源：奥芮济医疗

In terms of product progress, OriginMedTech currently has the most advanced products in surgery. Over the past decade, OriginMedTech's biodegradable magnesium closure clip has completed clinical trials and is currently being registered. According to Dr. Zhang Xiaonong, with the growth of minimally invasive surgery, the consumption of closed clips is also growing at a rate of 20%-30% per year. In 2021, the consumption of closed clips in the domestic market is about 30 million.

In addition to its self-developed medical device products, OriginMedTech also supplies materials to companies in the industry to facilitate the research and development of related devices based on its biodegradable and absorbable magnesium material technology platform.

Material innovation is the foundation of OriginMedTech. With 20 years of technology, its core competitiveness is undoubtedly its thorough understanding of medical magnesium materials. To be specific, OriginMedTech has maintained long-term cooperation with a number of hospitals across the country, and has published more than 100 papers in the field of research related to degradable absorbable magnesium metal, covering various studies including orthopedics, surgery, anti-tumor and other special medical functions.

Up to now, the company has been authorized more than 60 international PCT, invention, utility model and design patents, including more than 20 invention patents. In addition, OriginMedTech has participated in the development of two national key R&D projects, three industry standards, and one registration review guideline.

Zhang Xiaonong said that in fact, from the perspective of technical research, many of the basic research work of biomedical materials involving medical devices in China has been done very well. However, from the perspective of transformation, product research and development combined with clinical application is still lacking. At the same time, considering the current situation that many raw materials of medical devices may be "stuck", the safety of raw materials has become an important factor to be considered for the sustainable development of the medical industry.

As a technological innovation that can bring good social value and huge market value, there have been many different types of medical devices on the market worldwide. Orridge Healthcare also expects to complete the registration of its biodegradable magnesium clips in about a year, and is moving forward with the development of several new biodegradable devices. At present, the company is in the process of a new round of financing, mainly for its innovation research and development and market expansion.