Susheng Biotech Files IPO Prospectus After Rapid Breakthroughs in Sports Medicine Within Two Years of Founding Team's Return to China

The orthopedic market remains highly active. According to VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat), in the first half of this year alone, 11 financing rounds occurred in the orthopedic sector in China, with most funding amounts exceeding RMB 100 million.

The waves of "import substitution" and "volume-based procurement," coupled with a market environment where leading orthopedic companies are expanding overseas, are continuously driving innovation in the orthopedic industry. Both the capital market and the broader sector are eager to find the roadmap for the development of domestic orthopedics throughout this process.

Amid this wave, products, technologies, and related solutions such as composite materials, 3D printing, and biological therapies are rapidly proliferating, while niche segments like orthopedic surgical robots and sports medicine are increasingly capturing the attention of the industry and investment community.As a specialized subfield of orthopedics, sports medicine is characterized by high technical barriers and rapid market growth, positioning it as an emerging sector driven by the volume-based procurement of medical devices.

According to 《Special Report on Orthopedic Sports Medicine in the Healthcare Industry》, the market size of China's sports medicine sector is expected to exceed RMB 5 billion in 2023.

However, due to high technological barriers and patent restrictions in the industry, China's sports medicine devices remain monopolized by imported products., International giants represented by Smith & Nephew, Arthrex, Johnson & Johnson, and Stryker have long accounted for over 90% of the market share in China. The continuous rise in population aging and sports injuries has fueled growing market demand, propelling the sports medicine sector into a development phase.

Amid the pandemic, numerous innovators have returned to China to launch startups leveraging their R&D achievements, offering more therapeutic solutions. Hainan Susheng Biotech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Susheng Biotech") is one of them.

In December 2019, this high-tech biomedical enterprise, specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine and spearheaded by a founding team of overseas returnees from Europe and the United States alongside Ph.D. researchers from Tsinghua University and other academic institutions, returned from Switzerland and settled in the Haikou National High-Tech Zone.

Development History of Susheng Biotech

Susheng Biotech, built upon a Swiss biomedical technology platform, is dedicated to the research, development, and production of core medical devices for sports medicine, as well as the research and development of related products in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Less than two years after the team's return to China, Susheng Biotech has actively expanded into the field of absorbable implantable medical devices, leveraging its accumulated research expertise in sports medicine and its capability for localized product commercialization. Meanwhile, the company is conducting exploration and research on biological therapies for sports injuries,has preliminarily established a dual-driven business ecosystem in sports medicine centered on absorbable "Medical Devices + Tissue Engineering".

Susheng Biotech's Two Major Product Lines

In the high-value Class III medical devices sector，the company has developed next-generation absorbable interference screws, cartilage tissue adhesives, proprietary tendon-bone connectors, next-generation titanium button plates, dynamic compression locking bone plate systems, and other medical device products. Some of these medical devices have entered or are about to enter clinical trials or regulatory registration procedures.

Next-Generation "Absorbable Interference Screw"Building upon nearly a decade of interference screw research and advancing beyond conventional metal and pure polylactic acid (PLA) interference screws, this device is manufactured using bioabsorbable polymeric biomaterials (specifically, absorbable PLA compounded with bioceramic raw materials). It features an internal structure designed with a specialized three-dimensional spatial architecture, known as the "Turbine" tulip-style turbine porous lattice, and is indicated for the fixation of bone and tendon tissues during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction procedures.

Next-Generation "Bioabsorbable Interference Screw"

Benefiting from its internal structural design, this medical device enhances intraoperative grip and handling stability. Postoperatively, it effectively promotes bone ingrowth into the screw, facilitating faster tendon-bone integration and preventing complications such as postoperative ligament detachment. Meanwhile, after fulfilling its fixation and support functions, the screw gradually degrades in vivo, thereby eliminating the need for permanent implant retention or secondary surgical removal. Compared to internationally mainstream bioresorbable screws, patients using this device experience faster postoperative recovery and a lower recurrence rate.

As an R&D enterprise specializing in Class III high-value medical devices, Susheng Biotech has consistently upheld quality management as its core philosophy and fundamental development requirement.In August this year, the company successfully obtained TÜV certification for its ISO 13485 Medical Device Quality Management System.

In the tissue engineering sector,In April 2020, Susheng Biotech completed the construction of biomechanics and cell engineering laboratories and GMP production facilities, along with a comprehensive standardized system for clinical stem cell preparation and quality control.

Building on the company's exploration and accumulated expertise in induced pluripotent stem cells and precision gene editing technologies, as well as absorbable biomaterials such as collagen and tissue engineering techniques,Currently, Susheng Biotech is strategically developing novel stem cell clinical therapies for precision treatment in the fields of sports injuries, osteoarthritis, and hereditary blood diseases.

In September this year, the company's entire stem cell engineering laboratory successfully obtained the ISO 9001 management system certification from the internationally recognized certification body SGS., the certified scope is "the acquisition, preparation, storage, and distribution of human adult stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells for research purposes."

ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification

Through continuous R&D and accumulated experience, Susheng Biotech has currently developed specific therapeutic protocols for multiple novel technologies, including PRP + mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for knee osteoarthritis, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) reprogramming technology, and CRISPR-based precision gene editing.

To address the high prevalence of thalassemia in Hainan, leveraging its research foundation in the field of stem cells and undertaking a provincial key R&D project, the Company has developed a novel clinical treatment protocol for thalassemia utilizing gene-edited hematopoietic stem cells.。

Unlike traditional bone marrow transplantation and transfusion therapies, this treatment utilizes the CRISPR gene-editing system to precisely modify the patient’s hematopoietic stem cells. Through the extraction and in vitro expansion of autologous hematopoietic stem cells, the mutated disease-causing genes are corrected. The genetically corrected hematopoietic stem cells are subsequently expanded, screened, and reinfused into the patient, enabling them to perform normal blood cell functions, thereby effectively treating the disease while reducing costs.

Faced with the challenge of in vitro expansion of hematopoietic stem cells, Susheng Biotech has achieved breakthrough progress, laying a foundation for subsequent drug research.This therapeutic approach eliminates concerns regarding immune rejection and features a straightforward procedure. It effectively alleviates treatment-related patient suffering and offers the potential for a complete cure.

Susheng Biotech currently holds 5 core invention patents, 3 international patents, and over 10 utility model patents, with the team having cumulatively published more than 40 high-impact academic papers.Since establishing operations in Hainan one and a half years ago, the company has successively received over 10 prestigious domestic and international awards, garnering the attention and support of government leaders at all levels in Hainan as well as the biomedical innovation investment community.

The spirit of scientific research is deeply rooted in the entire Susheng Biotech team.Susheng Biotech has assembled a core R&D team comprising overseas-educated PhDs in biology, materials science, and biomedical engineering, along with orthopedic surgeons and engineers.The team comprises nearly 20 members, accounting for over 50% of the total workforce. Currently, the company is continuously engaged in the research, development, and innovation of high-value absorbable implantable medical devices and orthopedic products in the field of tissue engineering.

The team's scientific foundation is rooted in the life experiences of Dr. Zeng Sheng, CEO of Susheng Biotech.

Dr. Zeng Sheng has harbored a strong passion for science since childhood. He established his own "laboratory" during middle school, independently led research projects throughout his university years, and published SCI-indexed papers as the first author.

During his doctoral studies, Zeng Sheng studied under Professor Hengartner, former President of the University of Zurich and Chairman of the ETH Board, as well as Nobel laureate Professor Horvitz, and attended the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting as a representative of outstanding young scientists.

Susheng Biotech CEO Zeng Sheng (right) and Prof. Horvitz

Having studied in Switzerland for nearly a decade, Dr. Zeng Sheng collaborated with Swiss experts in materials science and sports medicine to co-found Sysorb GmbH, a Swiss medical device company. As one of the early companies specializing in absorbable interference screws for ligament reconstruction, it has established a strong product reputation in the European market.

Currently, the company has been incorporated into Susheng Biotech's portfolio of wholly-owned subsidiaries, targeting the global sports medicine market.

Dr. Zeng Sheng told VCBeat“Professor Horvitz’s primary research interests lie in cell biology and degenerative diseases. His focus on core fundamental questions in life sciences planted the seeds of scientific thinking in me, which later evolved into a steadfast belief in science and technology. Upon my return to China, his influence has remained a constant thread throughout my entrepreneurial journey. I have always persisted in conducting scientific research, pursuing technological innovation, and driving scientific advancement. Gradually, these commitments have become the cultural foundation of our enterprise and the fundamental source of our product competitiveness.”

Dr. Han Fei, Director of R&DGraduated with a bachelor's degree in Materials Chemistry and Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China, and later earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University in the United States.

Upon returning to China, Dr. Han Fei joined Susheng Biotech, leading the company's R&D team to actively conduct research and exploration into new technologies and materials, while making scientifically rigorous plans and forward-looking strategic arrangements for the development of the company's innovative products.

Dr. Han Fei Is Interviewed by 《Xinwen Lianbo》

Master of Medicine Feng Meimei Appointed Chief Medical Officer, with many years of clinical trial management experience at leading pharmaceutical companies and extensive expertise in medical device registration, capable of effectively driving the registration and market launch of the company's medical device products.

Partner and CFO Zhang JunyaoHolds dual PhDs in Business Administration and Finance from Université de Lille and SKEMA Business School (France), has served as a senior executive at a U.S.-listed company for many years, and possesses extensive cross-industry experience in management, operations, consulting, and international business.

In recent years, the wave of domestic substitution for imported products in the sports medicine sector has begun to take shape. Stem cell and regenerative medicine research has also emerged as a new developmental direction for future medical technologies. Standing at the intersection of these two major industry trends, Susheng Biotech will focus on the sports medicine field. By fully leveraging its technological reserves and R&D advantages in absorbable Class III medical devices and stem cells, and by adhering to innovation, continuously deepening its expertise, and relentlessly pursuing breakthroughs, the company will proactively align with market demands to provide physicians and patients with products and technical services that genuinely address clinical challenges.