Groundbreaking Innovation in Musculoskeletal Healthcare Takes Center Stage at AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting: CytexOrtho Named OrthoPitch Technology Competition Winner

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) named CytexOrtho the winner of the inaugural OrthoPitch Technology Competition during the AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Through the competition, the AAOS, the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists, aims to fuel innovation and foster advancements with the potential to improve or transform existing standards of orthopaedic care.

CytexOrtho, a pre-clinical stage medical device company working to advance orthopaedic treatment options for cartilage repair, presented a novel implant designed to naturally restore joints instead of artificially replacing them. The ReNew^™ Hip implant offers an innovative solution for the millions of active patients with early hip disease who are too young for a total hip replacement.

"The ReNew Hip implant is comprised of two very special components – one is a 3D-woven textile and the other is a high-precision, Tru3D printed component," said Bradley Estes, PhD, founder and CEO of CytexOrtho, during the live pitch event. "The integration of these two components give us an implant that not only recreates the form and contour of a healthy articular joint surface but also recreates the function of articular cartilage and bone."

According to Dr. Estes, surgeons remove only the damaged tissue and replace it with the implant. The implant restores the joint to its proper form and contour, and over time, cells move into the gaps in the layers of the implant and form functional tissue while the implant is slowly absorbed into the body. The technology received FDA Breakthrough Device designation and is poised to finish its phase 1 clinical trial and launch a phase 2 clinical trial once additional funding is secured.

"Being named winner of the first OrthoPitch competition validates the hard work our team at CytexOrtho has devoted to helping patients through this technology," Dr. Estes said. "As we approach first-in-human clinical trials this year, we're thrilled to receive this recognition from AAOS and are looking forward to promising outcomes."

Presented by AAOS and sponsored by MCRA, OrthoPitch kicked off in July 2023 with a call for companies to submit a new technology or product concept with a focus on its impact on the practice of medicine and patient care. The AAOS Devices, Biologics and Technology (DBT) Committee conducted a multi-staged review process focused on ease to market, reimbursement coverage, impact on market and commercialization. The top four submissions—Biomedical Bonding AB, CytexOrtho, nView medical and Solenic Medical—were invited to pitch their concept live to a distinguished panel of regulatory, reimbursement and commercialization experts, physicians and investors during the AAOS Annual Meeting. Following the pitches, the audience was treated to a spirited round of questions from the panel of judges. Ultimately, CytexOrtho was named the winner, impressing both the judges and audience, which contributed to the outcome via a live online vote.

"Orthopaedic surgeons are at the forefront of new procedures and technologies to optimize patient care in an evidence-based approach," said Jason L. Dragoo, MD, FAAOS, and DBT Committee chair. "With programs such as OrthoPitch, we're able to nurture innovation(s) from the ground up and witness energy and excitement for the future of musculoskeletal care. The experience of being in person at the AAOS Annual Meeting gave new meaning to 'pitching a deal' and allowed each finalist the opportunity to receive valuable feedback."

As grand prize winner, CytexOrtho will receive:

• Exposure to top seed and early-stage investors physicians, strategists and fellow industry members
• A complimentary booth at AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego
• Complimentary regulatory or reimbursement assessment by a MCRA consultant
• One seat access to Axiom Health's Market Intelligence Platform
• One 20-minute Innovation Theater time slot at the AAOS 2024 and 2025 Annual Meetings
• A complimentary webinar with AAOS
• One-on-one coordinated meetings with a minimum of nine leading MedTech investors

To learn more about the OrthoPitch terms and conditions, visit AAOS.org/OrthoPitch. For information about CytexOrtho, visit www.cytexortho.com.

About the AAOS
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.

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About MCRA, LLC
MCRA is the leading privately held independent medical device, diagnostics and biologics Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and advisory firm. MCRA delivers to its client's industry experience, integrating its six business value creators: regulatory, clinical research, reimbursement, healthcare compliance, quality assurance, and distribution logistics to provide a dynamic, market-leading effort from innovation conception to commercialization. MCRA's integrated application of these key value-creating initiatives provides unparalleled value for its clients. MCRA has offices in Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, New York, NY, and Tokyo, Japan and serves nearly 1,000 clients globally. Its core focus areas of therapeutic experience include orthopedics, spine, biologics, cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, wound care, artificial intelligence, dental, anesthesia, general surgery, digital health, neurology, robotics, oncology, general and plastic surgery, urology, and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices and medical device cybersecurity. www.mcra.com.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons