Royal Biologics and Jellagen Bringing Jellyfish-Derived Collagen Type Zero to the US Regenerative Medicine Market
The companies are working to bring jellyfish-derived Collagen Type Zero to North America, aiming to advance wound care and regenerative medicine with a sustainable alternative to mammalian collagen.
Key Points
- Royal Biologics has invested in and has partnered with Jellagen to bring jellyfish-derived Collagen Type Zero to the U.S. regenerative medicine market.
- The companies say the material offers an alternative to mammalian collagen sources, with potential advantages in sourcing, sustainability, and tissue compatibility.
- Under the deal, Royal Biologics will hold exclusive North America commercialization rights and will work with Jellagen on product development and clinical translation.
Royal Biologics is a New Jersey-based biologics company that makes bone marrow concentrate kits and trochars, amniotic membranes, and other regen med products. They announced a couple of months ago that they’re working on bringing a new product to the US market, Collagen Type Zero, a jellyfish-derived collagen biomaterial, made by a UK-based company named Jellagen.
Royal Biologics will serve as the exclusive commercialization partner for Collagen Type Zero across North American wound care, biologics, and other applications. The companies plan to jointly develop products such as wound matrices, scaffolds, and implantable therapies. Royal Biologics CEO and founder, Salvatore Leo, will also join Jellagen’s board of directors and act as its strategic commercialization lead for the new lineup.
What is it and what’s it for?
Salvatore said, “Type Zero isn’t just a new product, it’s a new novel class of collagen.” But what is it and what’s it for?
Conventional collagen biomaterials are typically sourced from bovine, porcine, or rodent tissue, but this product is derived from the jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo, harvested off the coasts of Wales and France.
The company says it has a few advantages over what’s available today, including fewer concerns around sourcing, disease transmission, viral contamination, and ethical or religious issues associated with mammalian materials.
Royal notes that, based on in vitro and in vivo animal studies, Type Zero collagen may elicit a favorable immune response that can lead to improved tissue organization and quality. Unlike mammalian collagen, which is specialized (e.g., Type 1 associated with skin and bone), jellyfish collagen retains a greater degree of chemical simplicity, enabling greater tissue multifunctionality and structural versatility.
Research done with the Mayo Clinic found it to be a “promising biomaterial” for thyroplasty, an injection into the vocal cords to restore function.
Researchers in Berlin found “excellent biocompatibility of the jellyfish collagen scaffolds and show their successful support for the process of (bone) tissue regeneration”, and a handful of other studies showed promise as well.
Commercial and Development Plans
- Exclusive North America rights for Royal Biologics to commercialize Collagen Type Zero in wound care, biologics, and regenerative medicine
- Joint R&D and clinical development for next-generation wound matrices, scaffolds, and implantable regenerative products
- Use of Royal Biologics’ distribution network, field sales team, and regulatory experience to support commercialization
This may be the first introduction of jellyfish-derived collagen across the pond. I’m excited to read the headlines as it develops!
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