VERIGRAFT Secures €1.2M to Propel 3D-Printed Arterial Graft Innovation

A €1.2 million Eurostars funding has been given to Gothenburg-based biotech business VERIGRAFT to spearhead the Precision Printed Personalised Tissue Therapies (PREPPER) project, which aims to create next-generation 3D-printed vascular grafts.

Significant issues with current graft technology, such as the scarcity of materials provided by humans, inadequate integration, and high failure rates, are intended to be addressed by this project. With potential uses beyond vascular grafts, the project's success might open the door for early human clinical studies and eventual commercialization.

The Eurostars award is a significant milestone for VERIGRAFT and regenerative medicine, according to Dr. Raimund Strehl, CTO of VERIGRAFT. They are speeding up the development of customized tissue treatments with PREPPER. According to projections, the worldwide vascular graft market will reach over $4 billion by 2026. PREPPER places Europe at the forefront of regenerative medicine, pharmaceuticals, and 3D bioprinting.

Patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a disorder affecting the deep veins that cause excruciating swelling and ulceration of the lower legs, have had their personalised tissue-engineered vein, P-TEV, successfully transplanted by VERIGRAFT in an ongoing experiment. Notably, a patient in Spain is now able to go to football games and walk alone for the first time in years.

VERIGRAFT, a biotechnology business founded in 2004 by Jan Holgersson and based at the Karolinska Institute, has emerged as a leader in advanced regenerative medicine and industrialized tissue engineering.