Biotech company develops radioprotective hydrogels
At Reunion Biotech’s cutting-edge laboratory, staff can be seen analyzing various active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Shanghai Reunion Biotech Co, a specialized and innovative enterprise based in Jiading District since 2018, has built a world-leading medical hydrogel technology repertoire represented by multiple innovative medical solutions for implantation or intervention, including radioprotective hydrogels, tumor embolization hydrogels, and products related to tissue filling and regeneration, and drug delivery.
At the research center of Reunion Biotech, staff workers can be seen preparing materials, doing chemical purity analysis, bio-safety analysis and sifting through different active drugs.
Each type of hydrogel, after being developed and going through trials, is mass produced, and then delivered to medical institutes for treatment of cancer patients.
The company is noted for its impressive facilities as well. It is equipped with a 4,000-square-meter research and development center, a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-certified workshop, as well as a range of state-of-the-art laboratories for physical, chemical, and microbiological analysis.
Among them, the R&D center has several industry-leading liquid and gas chromatography analysis pieces of equipment, and cell culturing and testing facilities.
“Globally speaking, the radioprotective hydrogel is mainly used to target prostate cancer,” said Pan Zhen, chairman of Reunion Biotech. “We have developed the world’s first radioprotective hydrogel targeting cervical carcinoma. Reunion Biotech is also the first in our country to launch research and development on it and complete its clinical trial tests.”
The hydrogel product, through minimally invasive injection into the space between the tumor and the rectum, creates stable spatial isolation room to reduce radiation effects on the rectum and the surrounding healthy tissue.
The cervical carcinoma radioprotective hydrogel from Reunion Biotech is in clinical trials at top national medical institutes such as Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Shanghai Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, and Sunyat-Sen University Cancer Center. Having completed its clinical follow-up of trial cases, the developers are applying for a patent and the medical injection will soon be commercialized.
“We kept on innovating our products in recent years, trying to reduce the gap with international products,” Pan said. “Our first radioprotective hydrogel product ranks as a national Top One. Our next tumor interventional embolization hydrogel will keep pace with world-leading technologies.”
Relying on a founding team with world top bio-material lab working experience, Reunion Biotech has developed a unique and world-first ready-to-use polyethylene glycol hydrogel culturing platform, which empowers the company to design different types of hydrogels and offer innovative, tailor-made clinical solutions to medical institutes.
Reunion Biotech is now applying its research achievements into prostate cancer treatment to prepare for expansion into the overseas market and plans to launch cooperation with universities, science and research institutes, and top hospitals to better embrace global competition.
