Price significance: Russian artificial cornea may enter the Indian market

Sechenov University has started negotiations with the Indian medical technology cluster Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) on the joint implementation of artificial cornea technology. A biomaterial based on highly purified collagen has already successfully passed preclinical trials in rabbits. The next stage is scaling up production and research on mini-pigs. Cooperation between the parties can help transfer the development from the laboratory to mass production, as well as open up the markets of India and other BRICS countries for the technology. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

Artificial cornea to be launched in India

The parties are considering the possibility of combining the university's competencies in the field of collagen materials with the AMTZ infrastructure to prepare medical devices for production and entry into the Indian market, the university told Izvestia. Representatives of Sechenov University visited the AMTZ Bioprinting Center in Visakhapatnam and met with researchers who also work on corneal repair technologies. Indian specialists expressed interest in the university's collagen materials, after which the parties discussed possible formats for further cooperation.

— Artificial cornea is an already formed technology, and now it is important for us to go through the next stage: from scientific development to a scalable medical product. Sechenov University has competencies in the field of collagen materials and regenerative medicine, while AMTZ has an infrastructure for prototyping, testing and preparing medical technologies for production. Combining these opportunities can accelerate the further development of the project and open up the markets of the BRICS countries for it," said Artem Antoshin, head of the University's Center for Innovative Collagen Research.

The implant is based on highly purified collagen and is intended primarily for patients with keratoconus and deep corneal lesions. In this disease, the cornea gradually becomes thinner and deformed, which leads to visual impairment, and in the later stages may require transplantation. A biocompatible analogue developed at the university should reduce dependence on donor material, the deficiency of which remains one of the main limitations of such treatment.

The problem is particularly relevant for India: in a number of studies, the prevalence of keratoconus is estimated at 0.6–2.3%, while in Russian studies the figure is less than 0.1%.

Preclinical tests of artificial cornea on rabbits have been completed successfully. The next stage will be research on mini-pigs. A technology for the serial production of the implant has also been developed for the project.

Prospects for the use of artificial cornea

Artificial replacement can be an important step forward in the treatment of patients with severe diseases and corneal injuries. One of the main prospects of this technology is related to the shortage of donor material: if it is possible to create a safe and reliable implant, it will potentially help more patients and reduce dependence on donated tissues, ophthalmologist and CEO of VISTA Ophthalmological Center Anton Kazantsev told Izvestia.

— But the cornea is a very complex structure, and it is not enough to simply create a transparent material. The implant must maintain transparency and shape, be durable, interact well with the tissues of the eye and remain stable in the long term. It is also important to understand how high the risk of inflammation, clouding, infection, or other complications is," the specialist noted.

Therefore, today it is more correct to consider artificial cornea as a promising technology, rather than a full-fledged replacement for donor transplantation. Preclinical results are an important stage, but there are still studies ahead that will show how effectively the material will work in the human body and how it will behave in the long term. If trials confirm its safety and effectiveness, the technology can really expand the treatment options for patients with severe corneal lesions.

About 200 thousand corneal transplants are performed annually in the world, while millions of people need treatment for diseases that lead to loss of its transparency, Andrey Demchinsky, Director of Science at Elvis Neuroimplants, market expert at NTI Helsnet, told Izvestia.

— Therefore, scientists in different countries are actively looking for alternatives. Some are trying to grow corneas from cells, while others are creating synthetic implants or using biocompatible materials such as collagen. However, there is no mass and affordable replacement of donor tissue yet. In this regard, the development of Sechenov University is interesting precisely for the possibility of creating such a solution," he noted.

Scientific and educational cooperation with Russia is extremely important for India, Alexey Kupriyanov, head of the IMEMO RAS Center for the Indian Ocean Region and an expert at the Valdai Club, told Izvestia. Despite the fact that this country ranks fourth among the largest economies in the world, this indicator is largely provided by the population of about 1.5 billion people. At the same time, the country needs specialists in a wide variety of fields and breakthrough high-tech research.

— The lion's share of startups in the republic is associated with attempts to find inexpensive solutions to various key problems. Therefore, they actively seek to cooperate with foreign powers. A few years ago, India even lifted the ban on opening branches of foreign universities in the country. If we talk about the breakthrough areas in demand here, these are big data, IT and biotechnology," the expert said.

The negotiations are currently at an early stage. The parties expect to continue the substantive discussion of the project at the World Health Innovation Forum, which will be held at the AMTZ site in December.