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KIST and Nexgel Biotech Create Multi-Purpose Biodegradable Hydrogel(July 28, 2022)
- Date : 2022-09-02
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KIST and Nexgel Biotech Create Multi-Purpose Biodegradable Hydrogeling KIST and Nexgel Biotech Create Multi-Purpose Biodegradable Hydrogel
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President: Seok-Jin Yoon) and Nexgel Biotech (CEO: Soo-Chang Song) held a technology transfer signing ceremony for promoting cooperation in the technology transfer and commercialization of "temperature-sensitive polyphosphazene hydrogel technology" at KIST's headquarters in Seoul on July 28th.
The hydrogel materials currently used in medical devices exist as a liquid at room temperature and as a solid gel type at body temperature. They can be divided into natural-derived polymers and synthetic polymers, and while natural-derived polymers are biodegradable, they have a slow gelation rate and low physical properties. As for synthetic polymers, problems include difficulties in controlling the decomposition speed and in introducing functional groups.
Unlike other temperature-sensitive hydrogels, the KIST-developed polyphosphazene hydrogels can introduce various substitutes to functional groups, and polyphosphazene hydrogels can be used as carriers for anticancer drugs, proteins, genes, cells, and so on, depending on their intended use.
Nexgel Biotech is a KIST start-up company, and its CEO, Dr. Soo-Chang Song, is an expert in the field who has served as a principal researcher at KIST for 25 years. Through this technology transfer contract, temperature-sensitive polyphosphazene hydrogels with excellent industrial scalability are expected to be used to advance into new business areas including medical devices and drug delivery systems such as bioink polyphosphazene, burn therapy, bone grafting, and plastic fillers. Nexgel Biotech has already passed the technology market analysis and patent value evaluation stages, attracting Series A investments, and is fully prepared for technology verification and commercialization.
Through this signing ceremony, KIST hopes to successfully commercialize its own temperature-sensitive polyphosphazene hydrogel technology in Korea and cooperate with Nexgel Biotech to establish Korea as a powerhouse in the bio sector.
The President of KIST, Seok-Jin Yoon, commented, “We anticipate that Nexgel Biotech will write a new chapter in the success story for KIST start-ups through the early commercialization of temperature-sensitive polyphosphazene hydrogel technology in Korea.”
In addition, Nexgel Biotech’s CEO, Soo-Chang Song, said, “We will strive to be a leader in the domestic biomaterials and drug delivery system markets through the transfer of KIST's world-leading temperature-sensitive polyphosphazene hydrogel technology.ˮ