Diabetic foot ulcers are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation, and are estimated to affect more than 2 billion patients worldwide. The spin-off of the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) Tirecat Health has patented a tissue-adhesive material that is capable of preventing infection and regenerating these chronic wounds. The startup's purpose is to commercialize this product, which prevents infection of diabetic foot ulcers but could also be applied to burns or other wounds, in about five years. For now, the company has closed its first round of financing, in which Grow Venture Partners has invested up to 170,000 euros.
"Chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, suffer from a high rate of infection that not only endangers the patient's life, but also generates very high costs for the healthcare system," remarks Alex Cànovas, CEO of Tirecat Health. The device is the result of more than eight years of research by nanoscientist Salvio Suárez at ICN2, who patented his product in 2022. The company was incorporated in mid-2024, after having participated in accelerators such as Barcelona Activa and the entry of Alex Cànovas as CEO, a former employee of Grow Venture Partners.
The first product developed by the company is a biocompatible polymer that adheres directly to the diabetic foot ulcer and is capable of regenerating tissues and preventing their infection. Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most frequent complications of diabetes, which causes the appearance of wounds on the foot due to inadequate blood glucose levels. These wounds become infected very quickly and often require hospitalization, being the most frequent cause of hospital admission for people with diabetes, and even amputation. Preclinical trials carried out on animals have shown that the startup's adhesive is capable of reducing the infection rate by up to 40% in this type of chronic wound, and preventing their amputation.
With the 170,000 euros raised in this first round of financing, Tirecat Health, which operates from the ICN2 facilities, plans to hire five new scientific and regulatory profile workers in the coming months, who will lead human clinical trials to demonstrate product safety and also the regulatory processes that the adhesive material must overcome before its commercialization.
The startup expects to raise up to 1.6 million euros by mid-this year to begin preparing the product launch to market, which they foresee within five years. For now, the priority focus is the European market, with Spain and Italy as main targets, but also with an eye on the United States. In addition, the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology has also received 150,000 euros from the CaixaImpulse program, from "la Caixa" Foundation, to accelerate its commercialization.
"Diabetes, and its associated complications, is one of the diseases that will become increasingly prevalent due to demographic changes in the population," reflects Cànovas. For this reason, the first product that Tirecat Health is developing focuses on this type of chronic wounds, but the startup is already working with the idea of developing a second product associated with tissue repair of chronic wounds such as venous ulcers (varicose veins) or third-degree burns.