Challenge
The number of burn wounds and chronic wounds is significant worldwide and expected to increase further due to the aging population. Chronic wounds include e.g. the well known open leg and diabetic foot. A substantial proportion of these wounds have necrotic tissue. These wounds require removal of the necrotic tissue, which is called debridement, to enable the wound to heal. There are multiple ways of debridement: surgical, mechanical (with the use of water), maggots and enzymatic (with the use of proteolytic enzymes). Most of them are expensive, little effective or very unpleasant and painful.
Opportunity
Current debridements all have their disadvantages. Surgical and mechanical debridement require expensive staff and an operating theater, and is painful for the patient. Maggots are expensive and not patient friendly. And current enzymatic debriders options are expensive and are very painful for the patient. Also efficacy is often an issue.
Solution
SERDA – Stable Enzymatic Rapid Debriding Agent – offers an enzymatic wound debrider that shows fast speed of debridement, ease of use, high level of stability, and low-moderate irritation potential. SERDA is a hydrogel containing a proteolytic enzyme. The proteolytic enzyme selectively digests the necrotic tissue/eschar which is composed of denatured matrix proteins (collagen, fibrin, etc.), removing the necrotic tissue and leaving the healthy tissue intact. This way the wound has the possibility to heal.
Status
SERDA is a joint venture between Smith & Nephew International and the European Healthtech Venture Builder (NLC). SERDA is preparing the IND filing with the FDA to start human studies. Preclinical safety studies and chemistry, manufacturing and control activities have been completed.
Meet the team
Lucio van Rooijen
CEO
35+ years of experience in Life Science industries across a range of therapeutic indications, business models and molecular mechanisms. Following a multidisciplinary international career in a top Pharma he held a number of general manager and CEO roles in biotech and diagnostics companies, service providers and mid-tier pharma companies and supported numerous early stage companies in business and corporate development and fundraising. Lucio brings hands-on experience in research, development, marketing, sales, licensing, fund-raising and company management. He managed the start-up and growth of several companies. He is driven to bring innovations to commercial success and benefit of the health and well-being of patients.
Sjaak Deckers
Venture Partner
Experienced MedTech executive with ample experience in fund-raising and creating and growing MedTech companies for complex Class II and III medical devices (Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation, acquired by Medtronic in 2014, GTX medical, now Onward medical, since 2021 listed on Euronext Brussels and Amsterdam, and Microsure, a microsurgical robotics company). Over 25 years of experience in R&D project management, product management, creating and managing alliances, and early stage venturing, mainly for MedTech and Healthcare products.