Avalanche Medical BV has been founded in 2021 as a spin-off from the Chemelot InSciTe SyCap project.
Currently, no readily available treatment that provides long-lasting pain relief and functional restoration can be offered to middle-aged patients suffering from focal cartilage defects in the knee joint. Approximately 650,000 patients, of which roughly 50% are middle-aged, undergo surgical treatment for a focal knee cartilage defect each year in Europe and USA combined. Avalanche Medical offers a biomimetic, non-degradable polymer knee resurfacing implant to treat cartilage defects in this patient group. The Synthetic Cartilage Plug (SyCap) implant will provide long-lasting functional restoration and pain relief without further damaging opposing and surrounding cartilage. The implant will be available off-the-shelf, and will allow for immediate load bearing with a short rehabilitation time, accommodates future diagnostic imaging (MRI and radiography), and facilitates stable fixation in the underlying bone without stress shielding by its unique biomechanical features. In vivo evidence in goats shows stable implant osseointegration and preservation of opposing cartilage after 12 months of follow-up.
Avalanche Medical has received a EUR 250k convertible loan from the TTT Medtech Fund in a round that was joined by Limburg Startup Capital Fund (LIOF).