Nanordica Medical raises €1.6M to bring antibiotic-free chronic wound treatment to market

Estonian medtech company Nanordica Medical has raised €1.6 million to launch wound dressing for fast healing of chronic wounds. The round was led by Estonian fund 2C Ventures, with participation from existing investors, Specialist VC, Superangel, Amalfi, the Health Founders syndicate led by Erki Mölder, and the EstBAN syndicate led by Heidi Kakko and Martin Goroško.

Around 100 million people worldwide have chronic wounds that fail to heal. More than half of these wounds become infected, often leading to severe complications such as sepsis, amputation and death. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are the leading cause of infections and leg amputations among chronic wounds. 

Every 20 seconds, someone with diabetes loses a leg due to amputation. Often called a “silent killer,” DFUs have five-year mortality rates and treatment costs comparable to cancer. Systemic antibiotics are currently the only treatment recommended for infected wounds by DFU treatment guidelines.

However, they often fail to reach wound sites at sufficient concentrations. Their use is also increasingly restricted due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Existing antibacterial dressings are not recommended by wound care guidelines largely because most lack clinical evidence. In addition, to effectively treat infection, many antibacterial dressings typically contain high concentrations of antibacterial agents that can delay healing by damaging healthy skin cells.

Nanordica Medical is addressing this challenge through its patent-protected Premotiv technology, which prevents infection and promotes wound healing simultaneously. 

By overcoming the longstanding trade-off between antimicrobial activity and skin-cell safety, Premotiv enables faster wound healing and is suitable for both infected wounds and wounds at risk of infection.

Nanordica's Premotiv dressing has demonstrated a 43 per cent reduction in wound area after just one week of treatment, compared to 13 per cent with standard silver dressings, in a randomised controlled trial involving 30 patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The study was recently published in the scientific Journal of Wound Care.

In addition to the already published pilot study with 30 patients, Nanordica Medical is currently conducting a multicentered, double-blind, randomised clinical trial in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.  With more than 120 patients already enrolled, it is one of the largest studies of its kind. It is expected to generate strong clinical evidence supporting reimbursement, future treatment guideline recommendations and broader clinical adoption of Nanordica's technology. 

“Antimicrobial resistance is one of the defining healthcare challenges of this decade and most wound care products are making it worse. Nanordica has built a clinically proven alternative that doesn't rely on antibiotics, doesn't compromise healing, and leaves a significantly smaller environmental footprint. We backed the team because they had both the science and the conviction to see this through”, says Martin Koppel, the Founder Partner of 2C Ventures.

Nanordica Medical launched its first veterinary wound care product, Ravimus Vet, in 2023. The product has received positive market acceptance and is currently distributed in six countries. The human product will be launched following CE marking. The company has also recently been granted a European patent, strengthening its market defensibility and supporting the expansion of its product portfolio. These activities, including the ongoing multicentre clinical trial, were supported by a €2.4 million European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator grant.

“This financing round will enable us to complete a large randomised clinical study, strengthening the economic case for Premotiv and finalise CE marking for commercial launch in Europe. Our clinical data suggest that Premotiv® helps wounds heal faster by managing infection without compromising the natural healing process. Faster healing has the potential to reduce complications, lower treatment costs and improve outcomes for patients with chronic wounds”, said Olesja Bondarenko, CEO and co-founder of Nanordica Medical.