NOVOCART 3D for articular cartilage defects of the knee


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Therapeutic Areas: Musculoskeletal System
Year: 2019

NOVOCART 3D is in development for the treatment of knee joint cartilage defects. Articular cartilage damage in the knee can be caused directly by acute injury, often as a result of sporting activity, e.g. repetitive trauma caused by high-impact sports. The condition may also arise without obvious trauma in individuals with defective cartilage. Damage of the articular cartilage does not heal on its own and can be associated with symptoms such as knee pain, knee swelling, knee locking and giving way of the knee joint, and may gradually develop into a chronic condition finally requiring total knee joint replacement.
NOVOCART 3D Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation System is a biologic-device combination product composed of autologous (the patient’s own) chondrocytes (cartilage producing and maintaining cells) seeded on a bioresorbable three-dimensional collagen scaffold, which is secured directly into the defect. The use of NOVOCART 3D involves two separate surgeries. In the first surgery, a small amount of knee cartilage is removed from the patient’s affected knee and sent to the company to be processed for re-implantation. In a second surgery, the damaged area of the knee cartilage is cleaned and the sponge-like scaffold containing the autologous chondrocytes is implanted. If licensed, NOVOCART 3D will offer an additional treatment option for repair of articular cartilage defects of the knee.