Jetbio to commercialise ground breaking 3D bioprinting systems – improving and accelerating the drug discovery pipeline - supported by Versus Arthritis
Pharmaceutical drug discovery is the process by which new candidate medications are discovered. It takes an average of 12 years and over £800m investment to bring one new drug to patients. Despite this high investment in time and money, over 90% of drug candidates fail in clinical trials because they may not treat the condition well enough, or the side effects are unacceptable.
Jetbio 3D bioprinting systems will rapidly print and deliver more accurate 3D printed models that closely mimic human tissue for the pre-clinical testing of new drug components.
The Jetbio technology will also support applications in tissue engineering, for example in-clinic processing of 3D tissue constructs for regenerative implants.
Jetbio Chief Executive Dennis Camilleri says “New investment in Jetbio will enable the company to design and scale-up its products for manufacture and global distribution. The company is also planning to engage in funded collaborative partnerships by applying its team’s considerable know-how in this field. This is an exciting time for Jetbio.”
Jetbio Chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Manufacturing Engineering, Kenny Dalgarno says “The technology is covered by granted patents in Europe and the USA and is underpinned by over 5 years of research at Newcastle University. We have demonstrated high performance bioprinting for a number of potential healthcare applications, including research funded by Versus Arthritis, the EPSRC, and the EC. We are looking forward to seeing our research being commercialised in 2024.
According to statistics obtained by Versus Arthritis, 10 million people in the UK have Osteoarthritis (OA), an estimated 5.4 million people have knee OA, and an estimated 3.2 million people have hip OA.
Versus Arthritis’ Director of Research and Health Intelligence, Professor Lucy Donaldson, says, “Versus Arthritis is the biggest dedicated charitable investor of arthritis research in the UK, changing lives through research, campaigning and support. We are thrilled to see the research we have invested in scaled-up for such innovative approaches, enabling scientists to discover breakthrough treatments and speed up their development.
People with arthritis need more effective, reliable, and personalised treatments to help manage their condition. We look forward to seeing how Jetbio’s work will help refine the drug discovery process and offer people with arthritis access to the treatment they deserve sooner, allowing them to live the life they choose.”
