Bochuang Bio: Advancing Collagen Innovation with Integrated Raw Material and Proprietary EDP Technology

(Source: Xinhua Daily)

□ Our Staff Reporter Guan Ying Xu

Recently, a clinical study applied for by Bochuang Biotech and conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology of the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital affiliated with Fudan University has begun recruiting participants. This signifies that Bochuang Biotech’s development of collagen artificial corneas has advanced another step forward.

Bochuang Biotech, located in Suzhou Industrial Park, has been targeting innovative applications of collagen since its establishment in June 2022. On one hand, it has successfully mass-produced high-purity, high-activity collagen, and on the other hand, utilized new technologies to develop collagen into products such as artificial corneal stromal sheets and oral bone tissue-guided membranes. In just three and a half years, the company completed three rounds of financing and was recognized as a high-tech enterprise and a "Star of Future Scientific Innovation" enterprise.

Good Technology Out of the Lab

The core technology of Bochuang Biotech originates from a research team led by Liu Changsheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and managed by Qu Xue, a professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering of East China University of Science and Technology. Qu Xue is also the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Bochuang Biotech. She introduced that collagen is a very important protein, accounting for 25%-30% of all proteins in the human body. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity, collagen can be made into biological tissue functional membranes (i.e., biomedical materials) for applications such as wound repair and medical aesthetics. The team has been deeply engaged in the technology of controllable electrochemical assembly (EDP) for many years, with related research findings published in recent years in top journals in the field of materials science, such as *Advanced Materials* and *Advanced Science*.

How powerful is EDP technology? It guides collagen molecules to migrate and assemble directionally through electrical signals, and can precisely control the microstructure of materials formed by collagen molecule assembly. Dr. Tan Haoqi, founder and general manager of Bochuang Biotech, explained: If the biological tissue functional membrane is compared to a house made of collagen molecules, using traditional technology to build the house would leave the molecules without guidance, scattering randomly, resulting in a crooked building—some parts are airtight while others leak air, making it neither sturdy nor practical. In contrast, the electrical signals of EDP technology can give instructions to the molecules, making them obedient so that the house is built into an ideal shape.

Utilizing EDP technology, Bochuang Biotech has developed an oral bone tissue-guided membrane with one loose side and one compact side. The loose side promotes osteoblast growth in bone defect areas, while the compact side prevents the ingrowth of other cells such as gingival epithelial cells into the bone defect area, avoiding interference with bone healing. Notably, this membrane is not layered and stacked but is completed in a single manufacturing process. Additionally, the company's artificial cornea, by regulating the assembly and alignment of collagen molecules, reduces light scattering and refraction effects after assembly, achieving over 95% light transmittance.

Tan Haoqi told the reporter that the film-making efficiency of EDP technology is more than 10 times that of traditional technology, and the entire process does not involve any toxic solvents, making it safe and reliable. The establishment of Bochuang Biotech is aimed at bringing excellent technologies out of university laboratories to promote the upgrading and replacement of tissue repair and regeneration products in the medical field, benefiting more patients.

Continuous Breakthroughs on the Entrepreneurial Journey

Registering and establishing a company is the "start button" for the transformation of achievements, as well as the "starting gun" for accelerating the breakthrough.

Tao Haoqi, while showing the reporter around the company's cytology testing, animal evaluation and other laboratories, introduced: "It took us just over a year to complete the laboratory construction, equipment procurement and debugging, as well as GMP workshop certification. Currently, the R&D space covers 1,400 square meters, and the GMP clean room covers 2,100 square meters."

Building the site from scratch and initiating early-stage R&D, the two angel rounds of financing completed in 2023 played a crucial role. By the end of last year, the company also completed a Pre-A round of financing worth tens of millions of yuan, and is now about to secure a new round of funding. Tan Haoqi said that due to the long R&D cycle and high risks associated with biomedical materials, some investment institutions had significant concerns during the process of advancing the Pre-A round of financing last year. He conducted several rounds of in-depth discussions with institutions such as Hangzhou Huafang Capital, clarifying the core technological advantages and clinical value of the products, and invited investors to visit the laboratory and GMP workshop in person. In the end, Hangzhou Huafang Capital decided to lead the investment, while local investment institutions like Suzhou Industrial Park Science and Technology Innovation Fund also actively followed up. This round of financing addressed the capital needs for accelerating product development and proved that the "hardcore technology + clinical orientation" model is compelling. It further strengthened the company’s confidence in firmly establishing itself in the new track of biomedical materials.

Promoting Innovative Applications of Collagen in the Medical Field: Technology Matters, and So Do Raw Materials

Unlock More Application Scenarios

Tao Haoqi observed that, with the breakthroughs in biomaterials technology and the support of national policies,Innovative HealthcareWith the support of the special approval channel for devices, the number of medical device products made from domestically produced biomaterials is increasing, and the market is showing a pattern of "international giants deepening their presence + domestic companies breaking through."

Bochuang Biotech, with raw materials in one hand and technology in the other, is growing rapidly on the path of deepening technology and product transformation: Last year, it joined the Suzhou Interventional Medical Technology Innovation Consortium, and its medical-grade high-purity collagen entered the "Suzhou Key New Materials First Batch Application Demonstration Guidance Catalog"; the project "Development of Dual Cross-linked Biomimetic Artificial Corneal Stroma/Lens Fabrication Technology" was selected for the 2025 Suzhou Key Core Technology Research Project.

Targeting the pain points such as the reliance on imported high-end collagen raw materials and the defects of traditional artificial cornea craftsmanship, the company has successively applied for 15 patents, with 10 already authorized. "EDP technology is our core competitiveness that distinguishes us from similar enterprises, giving us research and development time as well as market space. It also shows that start-up companies must quickly build their own technological moats," said Tan Haoqi, praising Suzhou's excellent innovation and entrepreneurship environment while sharing thoughts on innovation and entrepreneurship. "Blindly following trends must be avoided, especially in high-barrier fields like medical devices, where it’s crucial to focus on industry pain points and clinical needs. Innovations detached from clinical demands often fall into the dilemma of 'having results in the lab but no value in the market.'"

The chapter on industry-academia-research cooperation is still being updated. In April, the "Ophthalmic Biomaterials Joint Laboratory" co-established by Bochuang Biotech and the Engineering Research Center of Medical Biomedical Materials, Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, was inaugurated. The laboratory will focus on cutting-edge research, product development, and technological innovation in ophthalmic biomaterials, promoting scientific and technological progress and industrialization in related fields.

Technological innovation in niche sectors provides startups with opportunities to overtake competitors. In response to the two major market demands in China—alveolar bone repair and diseased cornea repair—Bochuang Biotech, which has entered new tracks through biomaterials used in dentistry and ophthalmology, is committed to unlocking application scenarios across more medical departments, offering clinical solutions that are safer and more effective.