Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field that uses engineering and life sciences principles to promote the regeneration and restoration of diseased and injured tissues and organs – in other words, it helps the human body heal or replace its own damaged parts. Due to the field’s complexity, getting to market can be challenging, but we’re seeing more and more innovative technologies make this leap. We spoke to Amélie Béduer, CEO and co-founder of Volumina Medical, about her company’s transformative work in regenerative medicine and how the field is evolving.

Emerging approaches in regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is a large and complex field that encompasses many different approaches. These range from using cells to create new tissues or organs, to combining cells with other engineered products, to solely focusing on the engineering of these products, which are called biomaterials.

Amélie’s company, Volumina Medical, specialises in the biomaterial side of the spectrum, producing a polymer-based scaffold that can be injected or implanted into the body to induce and support the growth of soft tissue. As she explained: ‘Our bodies have an intrinsic capacity to repair themselves, thanks to our tissues’ stem cells. These stem cells make different cell types and can repair damaged tissue. However, stem cells need instructions – a physical guide, if you will – to act effectively. That’s what our biomaterial product does. It harnesses and orientates the body’s repair potential where we want and need it.’

Currently, Volumina’s product is being trialled on patients who have experienced soft tissue loss or damage. As Amélie affirmed, the company could ultimately target a wide range of possible applications.

In general, the fact that regenerative medicine uses the body’s own capacities to treat disease or damage means that its different approaches are effective across a wide array of organ systems and contexts, including dermal wounds, cardiovascular diseases and traumas, different types of cancer, and more. In other words, regenerative medicine has the potential to completely revolutionise the modern medical landscape.

Challenges and opportunities shaping the field

Nonetheless, Amélie also underlined that the field faces various challenges which need to be addressed to drive sustainable growth.

As she put it: ‘From all the hype around it, regenerative medicine might appear to be progressing very rapidly. But there aren’t many clinical trials or approved products on the market yet – and so there’s a bit of a contradiction between how we speak about it and what’s happening for patients. Still, I must say there have been major developments in the field over the past few years.’

Indeed, innovative regenerative medicine approaches are constantly being born in research labs across the world, but many of them face significant challenges in scaling up and reaching the market. This is because of the complexity (and therefore cost) of production, coupled with stringent regulatory requirements that are challenging to navigate. Prior to founding Volumina, Amélie herself was working on an academic research project that focused on repairing brain tissue for stroke patients, combining stem cells synergistically with biomaterials. But, as is the case of so many projects in this field, she realised that she would struggle to scale her solution – and so decided to change tack.

This is why Amélie and her co-founders of Volumina, Philippe and Thomas, made the decision early on in the process to simplify things. In her words, they ‘cut out everything that was too complicated, expensive or not reproducible to make a simple and cost-efficient – but still effective – product’. As she explained: ‘After meeting with plastic surgeons, we realised that we could pivot to working on other types of soft tissue that are simpler to repair than the brain. For this, we zeroed in on what is critical for enabling a tissue to regrow and that’s the only thing we put into our product: the biomaterials. As such, our product is classified as a medical device, so we don’t have to deal with the sourcing, production and regulatory issues attached to working with cells, while ensuring high replicability.’

In turn, this has allowed Volumina to move more quickly through the clinical and pre-clinical phases to reach the market, which is Amélie’s ultimate goal: ‘At the end of the day, we just want to get our product out into the world and help patients.’

Prepare for a market explosion

Amélie has successfully transitioned from academia to industry by reconciling the demands of market pragmatism and scientific innovation. She hopes to see many others follow suit – and feels the market is primed for an explosion. In her words: ‘Of course, as a small company, we need to focus on our own goals and growth strategy, but in regenerative medicine as a whole, I’m seeing more and more promising approaches. I started my PhD on this topic in 2009, and even back then, the field was very hyped up, everyone thought it was the next big thing. But for the reasons I’ve mentioned, regenerative medicine never really fulfilled its potential. Now, however, I feel like the market is ready for this kind of innovation – and I think it really will explode.’

In turn, technology is starting to catch up with scientists’ needs. The forecast explosion in regenerative medicine would not be conceivable without massive advances in technology that have occurred over the past few years, unlocking new possibilities. As Amélie highlighted: ‘The technological building blocks are now in place to support the growth of the sector. I think you’ll see more and more people like me and Vannary taking risks, stepping out of the lab to treat patients.’

Still, for more scientists to take this step, there need to be robust support mechanisms in place. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Biopôle and the surrounding Swiss Health Valley offer. Amélie wrapped up by speaking about the crucial role Biopôle and its partners have played in Volumina’s journey. Significantly, Biopôle introduced Amélie to Clinique La Prairie, which has since become an investor and advisor for Volumina. As she explained: ‘We’ve forged really close relationships with Clinique La Prairie and other local partners, partly thanks to the fact that we’re neighbours. And the opportunity to discuss pricing strategies, branding and so on with them has been invaluable. These are the topics that we’re not so familiar with as scientists, though we’re learning all the time. They’ve also switched us on to opportunities for market expansion, for example, in the beauty space. We can’t wait see what comes next.’

We’re certain the future is bright for Volumina Medical – they’re one to watch!