Regenear, winner of the BioEmprenedorXXI award, to research with Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston

By Biocat

Biomedical start-up Regenear, which specializes in developing biokits to regenerate facial cartilage, has signed a two-year research agreement with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston (United States) to find the best combination of patient cells and biodegradable molds and thus obtain viable three-dimensional cartilage to be re-implanted in patient. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston is affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Regenear won the past edition of the BioEmprendedorXXI award promoted by Barcelona Activa, Biocat, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, "la Caixa" and Genoma España.

According to this Barcelona-based company’s Research and Development Vice-President Dr. Mercedes Balcells, signing this agreement “is a milestone in the consolidation of the company’s strategic R&D plan.”

Regenear was founded in April 2010 by Àgata Gelabertó and Albert Milé, chemical engineers from the Sarrià Chemical Institute (IQS); Mercedes Balcells, professor at the IQS and researcher at MIT; and professor Elazer Edelman of MIT and Harvard Medical School. Àgata Gelabertó and her husband Albert Milé have a daughter named Andrea who was born in 2004 with microtia. This was the starting point for their interest in improving current techniques for microtia repair with the best possible alternative: cartilage regeneration.

In April 2012, professor Charles Vacanti, one of the most prestigious researchers in tissue regeneration in the world, joined the shareholders of this young company along with two of his collaborators.

Regenear has received funding from ACC1Ó and participated in the Healthcare Barcelona Investment Forum.

• Related news: Regenear wins fourth BioEmprenedorXXI award (25/11/2011)
• Related news: Fifth edition of BioEmprenedorXXI ready to go (17/4/2012)