Secretary of State for Wales visits the Cardiff-based Jellagen hub driving revolutionary regenerative treatments
The Secretary of State for Wales, the Rt Hon David TC Davies MP, yesterday visited the South Wales-based headquarters of Jellagen – the Cardiff-founded biotech company that is leading the world in revolutionary regenerative medicine, through its radical approach to harnessing the benefits of advanced collagen biomaterials derived sustainably from jellyfish.
The visit follows an £8.7M Series A equity investment in this transformative medtech innovator, by Cardiff Capital Region, Development Bank of Wales, Thai Union Group PCL and existing shareholders – enabling Jellagen to accelerate its pioneering program of product development, towards human trials and regulatory filing.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, said:
“The fast-evolving Welsh Medtech sector is rightly growing a global reputation and it was fantastic to meet the Jellagen team and see the incredible work they are doing.
“The UK Government has invested £500M in the Cardiff Capital Region with the aim of developing a vibrant local economy and boosting the skills and jobs of the future. Jellagen is a great example of Welsh innovation and ambition – and it is exciting to see government funds supporting work which is at the cutting edge of its field.”
Thomas-Paul Descamps, CEO of Jellagen, warmly welcomed the Welsh Secretary’s enthusiastic support:
“We are delighted to be recognised by the UK Government for the paradigm shift being made through the Jellagen platform in accelerating the medical development of Collagen Type 0. Our progress represents a major milestone in being able to use sustainable collagen biomaterial for a whole range of skin diseases and tissue reconstruction, through innovative devices – and our team is particularly delighted to welcome the Welsh Secretary, given his keen interest in promoting innovation in Wales and championing investment from both domestic and international investors.
“We are proud to be part of this unique Welsh ecosystem – and thrilled by the support given to Jellagen as a future global medical devices and biomaterial leader based in Wales.”
Rhys Thomas, Chief Operating Officer of Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), noted the collaborative approach typified by the Secretary of State for Wales’ visit to South East Wales:
“CCR’s investment in Jellagen reflects our belief in the incredible potential of their technology platform, and the benefits this will bring to our Region through future manufacturing scaleup. It’s highly encouraging to see how a Cardiff-born enterprise is growing from strength-to-strength here in the Region – and wonderful to witness how CCR’s close collaboration with UK Government, Welsh Government, private sector partners and the wider investment community is creating highly innovative and sustainable applications for use around the world.
“Preclinical results have proven that Collagen Type 0 can negate the use of mammals in the development process, decreasing the risk of disease and virus transfer – and we are delighted to be part of a major breakthrough that enhances the wellbeing of patients requiring tissue reconstruction or treatment for skin disease.”
About Jellagen
Jellagen Ltd is a medical biotechnology company manufacturing next-generation Collagen Type 0 for medical and scientific research applications. Our strategic mission is to commercialise marine-sourced collagen based upon its many advantages over mammalian sources, while also exploring new therapeutic opportunities which arise from the unique qualities of Collagen Type 0 as a biomaterial.
The Jellagen business model is based upon a deep belief in building sustainable sources for critical biomaterials which do not carry the environmental and human health risks of traditional collagen sources. Our research and development strategy focuses on establishing partnerships with medical institutions of the highest reputation to investigate the use of Collagen Type 0 as a treatment for skin diseases and as a biomaterial for tissue reconstruction.
Founded in Cardiff, Wales in 2015, Jellagen is already marketing a range of next-generation Collagen Type 0 products for research use, while also developing clinical-grade formulations for therapeutic and medical device applications. Based on the pioneering research of Professor Andrew Mearns Spragg, collagen in Jellagen’s products is extracted from Rhizostoma pulmo, an ancient species of large jellyfish common to the Irish Sea. Peer-reviewed published research as well as the company’s own application-specific advisory papers demonstrate the significant advantages of Collagen Type 0 over mammalian collagen for both research and medicine.