Proof of Concept

The purpose of the project is to validate an injectable hydrogel material and the application of
the material in treating chronic lower back pain (CLBP). CLBP affects 55m people in the
western world and costs society billions of pounds a year. It is difficult to clinically manage
and most treatment regimes are either ineffective or require invasive surgical intervention.
New treatment and therapeutic approach’s are required.
Lower back pain results from the degeneration and loss of shock absorbing tissues within the
discs of the spine. This degradation causes chronic pain that if left untreated results in a near
total lose in an individuals mobility. Our minimally invasive approach involves replacing
these degraded tissues using proprietary injectable Microgels (“DXM”) that are specifically
designed to mimic the bio-mechanical properties of a healthy disc. The approach has the
potential to reduce the need for invasive surgical intervention, slow the progression of disease
and also provide effective pain relief for sufferers. It represent a potentially revolutionary
approach to how and when chronic back pain is treated.
The program requires the transfer of the technology to an industrial company, Gelexir
Healthcare Ltd, and the validation of the process to produce the material at the scale and
quality required for medical use. The mechanical performances of the material will be tested
in order to demonstrate that it complies with regulatory requirements and pilot data generated
to confirm the acceptability of the material for clinical use.
The programs will prime the technology for further development, its transfer to the clinical
testing and significantly shorten the development timelines.