MedArt Medical Announces Expected 2026 Launch of Class III Neurosurgical Implantable Devices and Files IPO Prospectus

The majority of China's medical consumables market is monopolized by foreign companies, withJohnson & Johnson、MedtronicForeign companies, among others, dominate the core high-end segment of China’s high-value medical consumables market. The Chinese government has consistently provided strong support for the research, development, and production of domestically produced high-value medical consumables; however, achieving “domestic substitution” is not an overnight endeavor and requires sustained efforts and accumulated experience from domestic medical consumables manufacturers.

17 years ago, Zhang Xiaojin, who specialized in polymer materials science, joined a medical device manufacturer developing China’s first absorbable internal fixation screws for fractures immediately after obtaining his master’s degree. He participated in and organized the design and development of multiple absorbable medical device products. Subsequently, he completed his doctoral degree at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and conducted postdoctoral research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States and at the Department of Neurosurgery of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Zhang XiaoDr. JinThroughout my academic and professional career, I have remained steadfastly committed to the clinical application of biomedical materials.

“The longer one stays in this field, the deeper the insights become. Leveraging their mature product concepts and brand advantages, foreign companies have captured the majority of the high-end market for implantable medical devices in China, particularly in neurosurgery, where the localization rate of high-end medical devices is less than 5%. Many surgical procedures rely heavily on medical devices supplied by foreign manufacturers,” described Zhang Xiaojin, characterizing the current situation faced by the rapidly developing domestic neurosurgery sector over the past decade. In contrast, clinical demand continues to rise. Currently, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, alone performs nearly 15,000 craniotomies annually in its neurosurgery department.

“Persisting in doing something valuable is perhaps what people often refer to as ‘sentiment.’” This was a remark made by Zhang Xiaojin during an interview. The “value” he referred to reflects his dedication to domestic innovation, emphasizing that Chinese enterprises are not merely capable of “borrowing” ideas but can also develop high-value medical consumables with independent innovation. Zhang named his company “MedArt,” upholding the philosophy that medicine is an art, and applying this principle to the design and development of biomedical material-based medical products.

From the implementation of Class I and II medical consumables to the approval of Class III absorbable cranial fixation locks

Chengdu Medart Medical Scientific Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Medart Medical”) was registered and established in January 2013, located in the Western Park of Chengdu High-Tech Zone. The founding team includes not only Dr. Zhang Xiaojin, but alsoBiopharmaceuticalsMr. Wang Jun, the Head of Technology and R&D with 18 years of experience in the field, and Ms. Chen Haiying, the Head of Comprehensive Management with 12 years of experience in the medical device industry, among others; the team members possess extensive backgrounds in the biopharmaceutical industry.

From the inception of MEDART, the team established the company’s development trajectory. As Dr. Zhang Xiaojin stated, “MEDART must undergo a process of corporatization and cannot evolve solely into a pure R&D institution. We must possess our own revenue-generating capabilities to ensure sufficient competitiveness and room for survival.”

The “self-sustaining capability” referred to by Dr. Zhang Xiaojin denotes MEDART’s strategy of progressively expanding its portfolio from Class I to Class III medical devices over the course of more than seven years since its establishment. In 2013, upon defining its development goals and plans for Class III medical devices, the newly founded MEDART decided to start with the development of Class I medical devices, launching multiple Class I products that were subsequently commercialized one by one. Between 2015 and 2016, leveraging its expertise in polymer material technology, the company developed two Class II medical device products, thereby formally transitioning MEDART into a systematically managed enterprise. The revenue generated from these commercially available medical devices provided MEDART with a certain level of cash flow, helped cultivate mature and professional teams in R&D, production, quality control, and marketing, and laid a solid foundation for the company’s subsequent launch of Class III medical device products.

“In fact, as early as 2013, at the inception of MEDART, we had already commenced the foundational development of absorbable cranial locks (Class III medical devices),” Dr. Zhang Xiaojin told Arterial Network. “We basically completed the preclinical studies on the absorbable cranial locks by the end of 2016.”

As one of MEDART’s core R&D products, the absorbable cranial lock system underwent a multicenter clinical study led by Professor Li Xuejun from Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in June 2017, with participation from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. Enrollment and follow-up for all cases were completed in December 2019.

Schematic Diagram of Absorbable Cranial Lock

The MEDART Absorbable Cranial Lock is fabricated from proprietary absorbable polyester material. Featuring patented material technology and an innovatively optimized structural design, it enables rapid, stable, and safe internal fixation of cranial bone flaps. The product is safely absorbed and metabolized in vivo into CO2 and H2O, effectively mitigating the long-term risks associated with permanent neurosurgical implants. It poses no risk of displacement or heating during MRI examinations, making it one of the most ideal internal fixation solutions for neurosurgery. This product holds 1 PCT patent, 2 invention patents, and 5 utility model patents.

Notably, MEDART’s absorbable cranial lock successfully entered the CMDE review process via the “first-of-its-kind” registration pathway for same-category products, with product registration expected to be completed within 2020.

Collaborating with several Grade A tertiary hospitals, including West China Hospital and Xiangya Hospital, the neurosurgical consumables market boasts broad prospects.

With the acceleration of “import substitution,” the increase in the number of high-tier hospitals, and the enhanced capability to perform high-level surgeries, the demand for implantable medical devices in China continues to grow. According toDouble MedicalThe prospectus reveals that from 2010 to 2015, the sales revenue of the neurosurgical implantable consumables market grew from RMB 1.3 billion to RMB 2.6 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.01%. Major neurosurgical implantable consumables include cranial internal fixation devices (such as cranial locks and connecting plates), dural patches, cerebral aneurysm clips, drainage tubes, and consumables for intracranial pressure monitoring sensors, among which cranial internal fixation consumables account for the largest share. By 2019, the sales scale of the neurosurgical implantable consumables market had approached RMB 5 billion. With the development of neurosurgery in China, the overall market for neurosurgical implantable consumables has shown steady growth. Currently, domestic brands remain absent or hold weak positions in many niche segments. As the process of "import substitution" accelerates, China's neurosurgical medical consumables are poised for robust growth.

MEDART is dedicated to the field of neurosurgery, specializing in the design and development of biomedical material-based medical devices. Currently, all products in its R&D pipeline are high-quality consumables for neurosurgical applications. To this end, the company has maintained close integration with clinical practice, establishing clinical collaborations with leading medical institutions such as West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. Guided by clinical needs in product development, MEDART has built a strong foundation of mutual recognition and collaboration with numerous hospitals.

It is reported that MEDART completed its Pre-A and Series A financing rounds in 2015 and 2018, respectively. The company has currently initiated a new Series A+ financing round, aiming to raise approximately RMB 20 million. The funds will be primarily used for post-launch business expansion and academic promotion of its absorbable skull products, as well as for advancing clinical research on high-value consumables for neurosurgical medical devices in its pipeline.