Renovos celebrates successes of 2024 and looks forward to the journey ahead

Two scientists in clean room coveralls waving at the camera

We have started the New Year on a good foot, thanks to some of the milestones and successes our team has achieved over 2024.

 

We have expanded our technical and advisory team, we published a key high impact paper as a result of a new clinical collaboration, another one of our patents was granted, we were awarded a Best Technology in Spine Award 2024 by neuro and spine surgeons, and we have manufactured the first clinical-grade nanoclay!

This last milestone particularly stands out in our journey to clinical translation of synthetic nanoclays, which are typically industrial materials.

Over the last year, our scientists embarked on the challenge of translating the manufacturing process for our patented RENOVITE® nanoclay into the clean-room environment. As a result, we have an established clinical-grade manufacturing process, tight control over any impurities, and a consistent RENOVITE® nanoclay product.

Two scientists in clean room coveralls waving at the camera in the clean-room during the manufacturing of our clinical-grade nanoclay

Our team in the clean-room during the manufacturing of our clinical-grade nanoclay.

 

Early in my career, I got the exciting opportunity to manufacture our first clinical-grade nanoclay batches in cleanroom facilities—an important milestone for the company. Starting with pharma-grade ingredients, the process ensured strict quality control, resulting in a highly reproducible and consistent product.

-Himanshi Mishra, R&D Chemist

 

As we move into GLP testing and meet further development milestones, ensuring our RENOVITE® product is easy to handle and complies with clinicians’ requirements is always on the forefront of our mind. Our extensive testing confirms the high-quality RENOVITE® carrier will provide optimal handling for surgeons.  Watch this space!

 

It’s been rewarding to work on refining our product design to meet clinical needs while also integrating manufacturing processes into our Quality Management System. By aligning these elements, we’re ensuring the creation of a product that’s not only clinically effective but also reliable and scalable for future clinical use.

-Roxanna Ramnarine-Sanchez, R&D Lead Scientist

 

With these major milestones having been completed, the Renovos team is looking forward to a productive 2025!

Renovos CSO, Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo recognised with Biomaterials Advances Innovation Award

A photo of Richard Oreffo sitting at his desk inside his office

Our CSO, Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo, has been awarded the 2024 Biomatierals Advances Innovation Award

The 2024 Biomaterials Advances Innovation Award is an award recognising innovative research in the biomaterials field that has potential beyond academia. The winners of the award are honoured for contributions that address unmet clinical needs, influence policy or contribute to industry practices.

Renovos CSO, Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo has been recognised for his work in the application of regenerative medicine for bone conditions.

 

A photo of Richard Oreffo sitting at his desk inside his office

Professor Richard Oreffo in his office.

 

The award will be presented in an official ceremony during 2024 TERMIS EU Congress in Germany.

Many congratulations to Richard!

Renovos CSO, Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo, appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire

A golden crown on a purple background with the words New Year Honours 2025 in the middle

Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the King’s New Year’s Honours!

 

The King’s New Year Honours celebrate those who have made outstanding contributions to their communities and fields of expertise across the UK. This year, the award has recognized our Chief Scientific Officer, Emeritus Professor Richard Oreffo. Richard has worked in musculoskeletal science and regenerative medicine for over 25 years. He is also passionate about education equality. He promotes opportunities for Black British students through his charity, the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation. The award recognizes the profound impacts Richard’s work had on the research field and the wider community.

 

Renovos congratulates Richard, as well as all the other recipients!

 

Renovos wins second place for Innovator Award and Open-Mic competition at VentureFest South

Pitching and networking at VentureFest South 2024

Last Thursday, Renovos pitched our RENOVITE nanoclay drug delivery platform at VentureFest South, the event stimulating the innovation ecosystem in the South of the UK.

Renovos has previously attended VentureFest South (and won an award!). We were happy to be back this year to connect with other innovators & entrepreneurs, potential investors, advisors and aspiring students. This year, we won two second place awards for the Innovator Award and the Open Mic Pitching Champion Award.

Pitching at VentureFest South in front of a large screen containing a slide from a powerpoint presentation about the company.
Pitching at VentureFest South

Our R&D Lead Scientist was pitching on the day and had the following to say about the event:

VentureFest South was an incredible platform to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. It provided a unique opportunity to engage with potential investors and share our vision of improving quality of life through the innovative Renovite® technology.

 

Renovos Biologics strengthens its Board’s US expertise with appointment of Lisa Ferrara

Renovos appoints Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., as a Non-Executive Director

Renovos appoints Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., as a Non-Executive Director


  • Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., brings over 30 years of experience in orthopaedic medical device innovation and regulatory strategy in the USA
  • Dr Ferrara will play a pivotal role in advancing Renovos’ lead product RENOVITE® BMP-2 through FDA regulatory approval in the USA
  • RENOVITE® is a synthetic, biodegradable nanoclay carrier that is a novel therapeutic delivery platform for precision regenerative medicine

Southampton, UK, 19 September 2024 – Renovos Biologics (Renovos), today announces the appointment of Lisa Ferrara, Ph.D., to its Board as a Non-Executive Director.

The appointment of Dr Ferrara, who has extensive experience developing new orthopaedic devices in the USA and obtaining regulatory approval for them, comes as Renovos presses ahead with development of its lead product RENOVITE® BMP-2, a next-generation precision drugs carrier.

Dr Ferrara is managing partner of Hypoid Ventures, LLC, a technology consulting firm. She previously founded OrthoKinetic Technologies and OrthoKinetic Testing Technologies, LLC — two highly successful companies specialising in medical device evaluation, strategic positioning, and regulatory success, which were later acquired.

With deep domain expertise in musculoskeletal systems and orthopaedic devices, Dr Ferrara has over 30 years’ experience in academia and industry, with expertise in innovative technology, biomaterials, nanotechnology and regulatory strategies.

She founded and directed the Spine Research Laboratory at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has authored over 60 journal publications and edited 26 book chapters. She also has numerous patents to her name. Dr Ferrara is a member of several healthcare advisory boards and editorial boards of leading orthopaedic and spine journals, including Neurospine.

Renovos was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for RENOVITE® BMP-2 in November 2023. RENOVITE® BMP-2 offers groundbreaking retention of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP-2) at the target site of repair, leading to improved bone fusion, safety, and ease of use across spine procedures – including minimally invasive and endoscopic applications as the formulation is injectable.

Dr Agnieszka Janeczek, Chief Executive Officer of Renovos Biologics, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Lisa to Renovos. She brings a wealth of sector expertise in orthopaedic devices and regulatory processes, largely from the USA. I am confident she will enhance our RENOVITE® orthobiologic programs. Lisa’s expertise will be instrumental as we work towards first-in-human trials and further develop our pipeline of innovative therapies.”

Dr Lisa Ferrara, newly appointed Non-Executive Director of Renovos Biologics, said: “Renovos’ RENOVITE® nanoclay technology represents a transformative platform in regenerative medicine, enabling localised delivery of therapeutic agents directly to tissue sites without unwanted migration. It’s fantastic to be joining Renovos, whose technology holds the potential to usher in significant advancements in tissue regeneration, providing a promising solution not only for orthopaedic treatments, but for the future of regenerative medicine.”

 

About Renovos Biologics

Renovos is a regenerative medicine company and a specialist developer of RENOVITE® synthetic nanoclay for medical use. Stemming from research at the University of Southampton, UK, Renovos’ proprietary RENOVITE® technology greatly improves the performance of a range of regenerative medicine products, with first targets in orthobiologics. RENOVITE® presents a novel mechanism of action, offering unprecedented retention of therapeutic agents at the target site of repair, mitigating their effects to a precisely controlled area, creating a step-change improvement in their efficacy, safety and ease of use, in biodegradable and injectable formulations, suitable for minimally-invasive applications.

Please visit www.renovos.co.uk to learn more.

Renovos Wins Best Technology in Spine Award 2024

Renovos wins - Spine Tech Awards 2024 logo and diagram of spine

Terrific news following a very busy summer at Renovos! We have won a BEST TECHNOLOGY IN SPINE award for 2024 / 2025 for RENOVITE® BMP-2, which will be presented during North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting in Chicago 25-28th September. It’s a true testament to the dedicated efforts of Renovos team, working hard to transform the future of orthobiologics in spine surgery. 

This award, inaugurated more than a decade ago by Orthopedics This Week (OTW), recognizes the remarkable inventors, engineering teams, surgeons and their companies who are developing the most innovative, enduring, and practical products to treat back care.

 

Every year a panel of top practising spine and neurosurgeons reviews dozens of new technology submissions from around the world. To win, the technology must meet the following criteria:
  1. Be creative and innovative.
  2. Bring long term significance to treating spine pathologies. Does this technology have staying power?
  3. Solve a current clinical problem.
  4. Improve standard of care.
  5. Be cost effective.
  6. Members of the judging panel would consider personally using it.
We are grateful for this award which brings well-deserved recognition to groundbreaking advancements that have the potential to transform the lives of countless patients.

 

We are very much looking forward to engaging further with the orthopaedic and spine community as we further develop our RENOVITE® platform and push the boundaries of safe and efficient biologics delivery.

 

Renovos Biologics receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its synthetic nanoclay bone fusion gel, RENOVITE

Diagram of RENOVITE® BMP-2 an alternative to bone graft materials for interbody spinal fusion

Renovos Biologics receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its synthetic nanoclay bone fusion gel, RENOVITE®


  • RENOVITE® BMP-2 is being developed as an alternative to bone graft materials for interbody spinal fusion
  • It is the first product based on RENOVITE®, Renovos’ novel nanoclay therapeutic delivery platform for precision regenerative medicine

Southampton, UK, 4 January 2024Renovos Biologics (Renovos) is pleased to announce that it has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product, RENOVITE® BMP-2 (Bone Morphogenic Protein 2).

 

RENOVITE® BMP-2, based on a proprietary synthetic nanoclay gel, is in development as a safer and more effective alternative to currently available bone graft materials. The easy-to-use, injectable gel allows precise, localised bone formation at the target site. It contains BMP-2, a growth factor which promotes in-growth of bone forming cells. The nanoclay gel enables safe, highly-targeted bone fusion, as it does not leach BMP-2, with the gel biodegrading as new bone forms.

 

Dr Agnieszka Janeczek, Chief Executive Officer of Renovos Biologics, said:
“We are very pleased with the Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA, being among just one hundred or so companies granted this designation in orthopaedics since the programme’s launch in 2015. This designation is a major milestone in our development journey. The accelerated regulatory feedback and prioritised review will shorten the time to market and allow faster access to expanded treatment options for patients suffering from degenerative disc disease.”

 

Michael Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Biocomposites, an international medical devices company that engineers, manufactures and markets world leading products for regenerating bone and managing infection in bone and soft tissue, and Renovos’ investor, said: “The granting of FDA Breakthrough Device Designation is a transformational step for Renovos, supporting its goal to rapidly develop and bring to market RENOVITE® – a next-generation drug carrier. At Biocomposites, our expertise in this field ideally positions us to support and enhance RENOVITE®’s progress towards pre-market approval.

 

The FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation program is intended to help provide patients more timely access to medical devices which have the potential to provide more effective diagnosis or treatment of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating conditions, by speeding up the development, assessment and review process. Breakthrough designation is only granted after preliminary evidence has been provided demonstrating a reasonable expectation that the device will provide significant advantages over standard of care. The designation will allow Renovos to have more frequent interaction with the FDA’s regulatory experts when preparing its submissions, followed by prioritised reviews.

 

Professor Richard Oreffo, Chief Scientific Officer of Renovos Biologics added:
“We are delighted our pioneering nanoclay product, RENOVITE® BMP-2, which provides unprecedented retention of therapeutics at the site of repair, has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA. RENOVITE® BMP-2, the first product from our RENOVITE® platform technology, offers unprecedented opportunity for  localised directed tissue regeneration with ease of use, safety and retention providing a transformative solution to address debilitating orthopaedic spinal conditions for an increasing aging population.”

 

Find out more about RENOVITE® >>

Biocomposites invests in Renovos Biologics

Biocomposites logo

Biocomposites invests in Renovos Biologics –
developers of the RENOVITE® nanoclay therapeutic delivery platform


RENOVITE ® nanoclay is a novel therapeutic delivery platform for precision regenerative medicine

Investment will help fund pre-market approval for use in spine, trauma and orthopaedics

Biocomposites, CEO, Michael Harris will join Renovos Biologics Board of Directors


Keele, UK, 5 July 2023 – Biocomposites, an international medical devices company that
engineers, manufactures and markets world leading products for regenerating bone and
managing infection in bone and soft tissue, today announces it has taken a minority-share
interest in Renovos Biologics (Renovos), an innovative biologics company born out of
research into the properties of nanoclay at the University of Southampton, UK. Michael
Harris, CEO, Biocomposites will join Renovos Biologics Board of Directors.

Renovos’ lead product RENOVITE® is a synthetic, biodegradable nanoclay carrier that can be
used to place a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs and biologics at the site of treatment. It
can be injected through a 23-gauge cannula in support of minimally-invasive procedures and
sets into a stiff gel upon contact with physiological fluids, such as blood serum. As a cell-
responsive carrier it requires a lower dose of therapeutic drug to accelerate healing.

The investment from Biocomposites will allow Renovos to access Biocomposites’ expertise
and know-how in the development of drug carriers to progress RENOVITE® to pre-market
approval as a carrier for use in spine, trauma and orthopaedics. And in due course, provide
Renovos access to Biocomposites’ established, global distribution network.

Michael Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Biocomposites, commented: “The potential for
RENOVITE® as a next generation drug carrier that can enhance the activity of therapeutic
drugs at lower doses, whilst giving the surgeon much greater freedom to use in minimally
invasive procedures, is very exciting. Following on from our recent acquisition of Artoss in
June this year, and Subiton and Synimed last year, Biocomposites has established itself as
the go-to provider for surgeons requiring bone regeneration and/or managing infection in
bone and soft tissue.”

Dr Agnieszka Janeczek, Chief Executive Officer of Renovos Biologics added: “We have long
believed in the potential of RENOVITE® to overcome the challenges in tissue regeneration by
providing unprecedented retention of therapeutics at the site of repair. With the
opportunity to partner with Biocomposites, Renovos now have access to their deep
knowledge and expertise in drug developments, as well as their global distribution network
as products come to market.”

Contact for media enquiries:
Optimum Strategic Communications
Hollie Vile, Charlotte Hepburne-Scott, Zoe Bolt, Katie Flint
Tel: +44 (0)20 3882 9621
biocomposites@optimumcomms.com

About Biocomposites

Biocomposites is an international medical device company that engineers, manufactures
and markets world leading products for use in infection management in bone and soft
tissue. Based in Keele, UK, it has global operations across Europe, USA, Canada, China and
India. Biocomposites is a world leader in the development of innovative calcium compounds
and polymers for surgical use. Its products regenerate bone and target infection risks across
a variety of specialties, including musculoskeletal infection, orthopaedics, trauma, spine,
foot and ankle, podiatry and sports injuries. Biocomposites products are now used in over
120,000 procedures per annum and sold in more than 40 countries around the world.

Following the acquisition of Artoss GmbH, Biocomposites has acquired proprietary
NanoBone technology to its product portfolio, a combination of nanocrystalline
hydroxyapatite and silica gel – to provide optimal bone formation with easy handling.

Please visit biocomposites.com to learn more.

About Renovos Biologics

Renovos is a regenerative medicine company and a specialist developer of RENOVITE®
synthetic nanoclay for medical use. Stemming from research at the University of
Southampton, UK, Renovos’ proprietary RENOVITE® technology greatly improves the
performance of a range of regenerative medicine products, with first targets in
orthobiologics. RENOVITE® presents a novel mechanism of action, offering unprecedented
retention of therapeutic agents at the target site of repair, mitigating their effects to a
precisely controlled area, creating a step-change improvement in their efficacy, safety and
ease of use, in biodegradable and injectable formulations, suitable for minimally-invasive
applications.

Please visit www.renovos.co.uk to learn more.

Professor Richard Oreffo contributes to Bone series as guest editor

R C Oreffo and diagram of article for Bone Series

A new series of articles covering scaffolds and applications for bone regeneration and tissue engineering has been published in a Special Issue “VSI: Bone Regeneration” in the journal Bone with Guest Editors, our co-founder Richard OC Oreffo and Jill Cornish.

As the editors state, the current unmet need for simple cost-effective approaches translatable to the clinic to replace bone lost as a consequence of age or disease emphasise the importance of skeletal tissue engineering. Nevertheless, despite extensive in vitro and in vivo work, few strategies have routinely translated into clinical practice. While skeletal tissue regeneration promises to deliver specifiable replacement skeletal tissues with significant health care benefits therein and socio-economic benefits, a number of challenges remain.

The series of articles collated cover recent developments in skeletal biology, skeletal cell populations, biomaterial design, 3D printing, and niche environments for bone reparation. The series also includes work detailing preclinical evaluation, translation, and emerging clinical strategies in tissue regeneration.

The issue is available on ScienceDirect via the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/bone/special-issue/10JNS2C8KWL

Renovos wins Innovate UK’s Biomedical Catalyst funding!

Injectable Renovite gel for localised tissue regeneration

Renovos has been awarded a £692,472 Biomedical Catalyst grant from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency*. Innovate UK funds businesses to accelerate promising innovations towards commercially successful products, in specific areas of interest that promote economic growth.

Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with the most common and disabling conditions such as arthritis, back and neck pain, fractures and injuries. Current bone healing agents are poorly localised and rely on very high doses which have been associated with some dangerous side effects such as excess bone growth outside of the skeleton, inflammation leading to tissue swelling and sometimes nerve damage when used in the spine.

Renovos provides a novel solution that can address the current limitations of localising bone agents/biologic factors at the site of repair, improving their safety and efficacy. RENOVITE® is injectable and enables the use of bone-healing agents in a more precise, localised manner, and – thanks to strong retention – at a significantly reduced dose. Renovos’ compelling pre-clinical data shows that these agents are only released upon contact with regenerating cells, so they can enhance healing in a more targeted manner to improve outcomes with greater safety, efficacy and at a lower cost. The project “RENOVITE® – regenerative nanoclay for orthobiologic applications” will deliver further pre-clinical development in models aligned with clinical applications and accelerate the regulatory path.

Agnieszka Janeczek, CEO of Renovos Biologics said: “We are thrilled that our RENOVITE® nanoclay gel technology has once again been recognised by the Innovate UK experts. As pioneers of nanoclay gels for tissue regeneration, we are excited about this funding and the progress in development it will allow us to achieve to get closer to the clinic.”

Renovos ultimately anticipates its products based on the RENOVITE® platform will provide novel solutions for bone fusion procedures and difficult to treat fractures, benefiting the increasingly active younger demographics, requiring tissue regeneration, as well as the progressively ageing population.

If you are interested in supporting Renovos’ vision, please get in touch. 

 

* Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org