Vanarix develops Cartibeads, bioengineered autologous and allogeneic cartilage mini-implants designed to self-integrate into lesions and repair articular cartilage. The company holds a patented mass cell amplification process intended to enable donor cells to treat thousands of patients and reduce production costs. In a Phase I/IIa autologous clinical study of ten patients, six-month preliminary results showed significant pain reduction in five patients, good MRI lesion filling and T2 mapping indicative of tissue resembling native cartilage; one patient returned to intense sporting activity. Allogeneic Cartibeads have shown excellent graft integration with no inflammation or rejection in preclinical minipig studies and in clinical use on three horses, one of which returned to competitive show jumping. Vanarix plans a new Phase I/IIa allogeneic trial beginning July 17, 2024, with the first transplants at Lugano Hospital and recruitment at Geneva (HUG), Clinic Hirslanden/La Colline, and Balgrist/Zurich. The CHF 4 million raised will finance the upcoming clinical trial and support implementation of automated manufacturing processes to scale access to the treatment.

Total raised

$4M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jul 2024