Chi2gel

Chi2Gel Ltd. was a development-stage life sciences company founded in 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel, by Dror Robinson, Shachar Patchornik, and Alain Zeitoun. The firm focused on developing hybrid hydrogels for pain-related indications within orthopedics and rheumatology. The company is considered dead-pooled or presumed inactive as of May 2019.

The company's proprietary technology was a thermo-responsive, injectable hybrid hydrogel based on chitosan and hyaluronate. This formulation was a liquid solution at low temperatures that would transform into a gel at physiological temperatures, designed to act as a scaffold and supplement in the body. The primary product in development was Chi2Knee, an intra-articular injection intended as a visco-supplement for patients with painful knee osteoarthritis. Another planned application was Chi2Disc, a hydrogel for low back pain associated with degenerative disc disease, to be used with a proprietary restorative device. Preclinical studies in rat models suggested that the hybrid gel could delay the progression of osteoarthritis and reduce pain.

Chi2Gel operated in the medical device and health tech sectors, targeting a market focused on non-invasive orthopedic treatments. Its business model centered on the research and development of these hydrogel products with the goal of commercialization. The company secured approximately $658K in a seed funding round. As of November 2016, its flagship product was in preclinical development.

Keywords: hydrogel implants, orthopedic pathologies, rheumatology, medical devices, chitosan, hyaluronate, visco-supplement, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, preclinical development, intra-articular injection, pain management, tissue regeneration, thermo-responsive gel, biopolymer, health tech, life sciences, knee pain, back pain, cartilage repair