OrthoSon

What OrthoSon does

OrthoSon Limited is an Oxford, UK-based medical device company developing the ORTHOSON Bio-Structural Gel, an injectable, in-situ forming mechano-biological implant intended to treat chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD). The gel is a low-viscosity patented polymer that flows into the fissures of a degenerated intervertebral disc and gels in place, restoring tension in the annulus and mechanical function of the disc while mimicking the body's own Nucleus Pulposus tissue (healthy osmolarity, 82% water content). The technology has received FDA Breakthrough Device Technology designation and is positioned as a micro-invasive, <30-minute one-and-done procedure intended to suppress inflammatory drivers of degeneration (IL-1, MMP-3, ADAMTS4) and provide an alternative to opioids, fusion surgery, and disc-replacement implants. The company was founded in 2018 as a spinout from the University of Oxford's Institute of Biomedical Engineering, based on 10 years of academic research led by CTO and founder Prof. Constantin Coussios.

The intended end customers are patients suffering from discogenic low back pain — a population estimated at 619M people globally in 2020, with US healthcare spend on low back pain of $135B in 2016 — and the prescribing clinicians who treat them, namely fellowship-trained spinal surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and interventional pain specialists. OrthoSon is pre-revenue: the device has not yet begun US Phase I clinical trials (expected from 2025) and has no commercial sales. Funding to date totals approximately £10.7M (~$15M+) across a £1.8M seed in November 2019 (led by Oxford Technology and Innovations EIS Fund and Oxford Investment Consultants) and an £8.9M Series A in April 2022 (with Big Pi Ventures and Yonghua Capital). The company is headquartered at The Magdalen Centre, Oxford Science Park, employs 11–50 people, and in September 2023 launched a Series B funding round to support US clinical trials, European and international expansion, and ultimately a global commercial launch via direct sales to hospitals and spine surgery centers.

Name

OrthoSon

Legal name

OrthoSon Limited

Website

https://orthoson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OrthoSon is a UK-based, pre-clinical medical device company developing the ORTHOSON Bio-Structural Gel — an injectable in-situ forming implant designed to restore intervertebral disc function and treat chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease in patients treated by spine surgeons and pain specialists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spinal Medical Devices

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Bone Graft Substitutes & Orthobiologics (Synthetic/Allograft/DBM) (HLAHAEAG)

Keywords

• Minimally invasive medical devices
• Degenerative disc disease treatment
• Injectable spinal implants
• Intervertebral disc restoration
• Bio-structural gel therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sales: OrthoSon is developing a medical device (Bio-Structural Gel) for treating low back pain. The company is pre-revenue as the therapy is still in development and not yet approved for commercial use. Once approved, revenue will be generated through the sale of the injectable implant procedure for discogenic low back pain treatment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

OrthoSon is developing the ORTHOSON Bio-Structural Gel, a patented injectable, in-situ forming polymer implant that restores mechanical function of the intervertebral disc to treat chronic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Delivered via a micro-invasive procedure taking less than 30 minutes, the gel follows disc fissures and forms a mechano-biological structure with 82% water content that mimics healthy Nucleus Pulposus tissue. The product has received FDA Breakthrough Device Technology designation and is being prepared for US Phase I clinical trials.

Product overview

OrthoSon is a medtech company developing a single unified product: the ORTHOSON Bio-Structural Gel. This is a micro-invasive, injectable implant that restores disc mechano-biology to treat the causes of degenerative disc disease and associated low back pain. The product is designed as a 'one-and-done' treatment with a less than 30-minute procedure and short recovery time. It has received FDA Breakthrough Device Technology designation and is being prepared for Phase I clinical trials in the US, with European and international clinical trials to follow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ORTHOSON Bio-Structural Gel

Quantifiable outcome

• Micro-invasive procedure takes less than 30 minutes with short recovery time
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology origin of OrthoSon. The Bio-Structural Gel technology is the result of 10 years of ongoing research with the University of Oxford's Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Prof. Constantin Coussios leads the company's technical operation from Oxford.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Medtronic Spine: Medtronic is the largest spine device incumbent, offering a comprehensive portfolio including fusion, biologics, and interbody devices. It competes for hospital budgets and surgeon mindshare across all degenerative disc disease treatment pathways OrthoSon targets.
• Globus Medical: Globus Medical is a major spine and orthopedic device company offering a broad portfolio across motion preservation, fusion, and minimally invasive spine surgery. It competes for the same hospital and spine surgeon customers OrthoSon plans to address.
• NuVasive: NuVasive (now part of Globus Medical) is a leading spine technology company focused on minimally invasive surgical approaches and motion-preserving solutions. It is a broad incumbent across the degenerative disc disease treatment pathway OrthoSon targets.
• Orthofix: Orthofix is a spine and orthopedics company offering a portfolio including spinal implants, biologics, and motion-preservation devices. Board member Ted Bird was previously President of Orthofix's Spinal Implants Division, making it a closely related incumbent in the spine device space.
• Stryker Spine: Stryker's Spine division offers a broad portfolio of cervical and thoracolumbar products. OrthoSon Board Chair Ken Reali previously held senior leadership roles at Stryker, making it a directly relevant incumbent competitor and likely strategic acquirer profile.

Direct peers

• Centinel Spine: Centinel Spine is a leader in cervical and lumbar total disc replacement, competing for the same spine surgeon customers and addressing degenerative disc pathology through motion-preserving implants. It is the most relevant established peer in disc arthroplasty.
• Spine Wave: Spine Wave is a privately held spine device company that has developed nucleus replacement technologies and a broad portfolio of spine solutions. OrthoSon board member Dr. Andy Carter previously led nucleus replacement product development at Spine Wave, making it a direct historical comparitor.
• Mesoblast: Mesoblast is developing Rexlemestrocel-L, an allogeneic cell therapy for chronic low back pain due to degenerative disc disease, with Phase 3 data and an FDA pathway. It is the most clinically advanced direct competitor in the regenerative disc-pain space OrthoSon targets.
• DiscGenics: DiscGenics is developing IDCT, an injectable, autologous disc cell therapy for degenerative disc disease. Like OrthoSon, it is a pre-clinical/early-clinical-stage company targeting the same unmet need in lumbar disc degeneration with a minimally invasive injectable approach.
• Intrinsic Therapeutics: Intrinsic Therapeutics commercializes the Barricaid bone-anchored annular closure device for disc herniation and degenerative disc disease. It is a direct competitor offering a different but adjacent micro-invasive solution for the same disc-degeneration patient population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OrthoSon