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A Longford SME, Finesse Medical Ltd., will share EU funding worth €1.3 million with its partner Biovotec AS, Norway to develop a new membrane that will heal chronic wounds. The membrane comes from eggshells.
Finesse Medical is developing a new medical product made with eggshell membranes. It can heal chronic wounds, faster.
How does BIOCURE work?
The biomaterial derived from the eggshell membrane is a protein rich, thin membrane structure. It lines the inner surface of the eggshell and acts as a physical barrier for the egg and developing chick.
Finesse Medical has found that it has many characteristics of “mammalian extracellular matrix and represents a novel biomaterial for biotechnology-based healthcare industries”.
In simple terms, BIOCURE, made with the eggshell membrane, can heal chronic wounds faster.
“If successful, we see BIOCURE being used routinely in wound clinics across the EU,” says Martin Dowd, marketing and business development director at Finesse Medical.
Significant costs
Founded in 2006, Finesse Medical employs 85 people but says the EU funding will allow them to recruit more research and development staff as well as manufacturing staff, once the product reaches the commercialisation stage.
“There are significant costs in developing a new product and showing that it is safe and effective for patients,” says Dowd. “The project could not be completed, and we would not be able to meet these requirements without the EU funding.”
The USP
To date, many studies have shown that collagen-based wound care products are effective in improving chronic wounds. However, the cost of these products are very expensive (in some cases eight to 10 times the cost of standard dressings) and are based on bovine or porcine collagen. “BIOCURE can provide an alternative biological collagen solution at a significantly lower cost,” says Dowd.
Horizon 2020
Finesse Medical Ltd. is one of 38 innovative SMEs across Europe selected for this round of Horizon 2020 SME funding.
The funding will be used to finance demonstration, testing, piloting, and scaling up. The money will also be used to develop a mature business plan for the company.
