Meishangjie Biotech Advances into Class III Implantable Medical Devices with Pioneering Fibronectin-Collagen Recombinant Dual-Protein Structure

The competition in China's collagen market is extremely fierce.

On one hand, collagen companies must confront intense intra-industry competition, as most firms have heavily invested in the medical aesthetics and personal care sectors, leading to severe product homogenization; they also face cross-industry competition from outsiders. On the other hand, besides hyaluronic acid and collagen, numerous other ingredients claim similar benefits such as moisturizing and repair, further exacerbating market complexity.

Amid intensifying market saturation, the core of competition is gradually returning to the essence of technology and products.

Jiangsu MSJ Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “MSJ”) stands out with its proprietary sequence optimization technology system. Leveraging the innovative achievement of “Recombinant Fibronectin-Like Humanized Collagen” (Patent No.: 202010352999.1), the company has secured a steady and sustainable cash flow by entering the medical aesthetics sector, while simultaneously advancing into the field of Class III implantable medical devices, thereby establishing a formidable competitive moat.

Just this past July, MSJ secured tens of millions of yuan in Series A financing, led by Shanghai Jiusheng Shanhe, with follow-on investments from Zhangjiagang Jinxin Capital and Zhangjiagang City Fund’s Zhangchuangtou.

Looking back on MSJ’s entrepreneurial journey, its founder, Zhao Hua, is filled with emotion.

He was previously responsible for sales in the China region at Amorepacific Group, South Korea’s largest cosmetics conglomerate, where he witnessed the industry’s dynamic shifts. In particular, 2017 saw fierce competition among domestic personal care brands, with young consumers becoming the market’s favored demographic and niche segments such as “sensitive skin” gaining prominent traction. In contrast, the anti-aging sector remained predominantly dominated by major international brands.

At that time, third-party consulting firms provided Amorepacific Group with annual trend reports on China’s entire cosmetics market. By looking beyond the complex surface-level market data, Zhao Hua keenly identified the opportunities hidden beneath subtle shifts in the figures—“the demand for anti-aging products was gradually expanding.”

This insight ignited his entrepreneurial passion like a spark. Zhao Hua promptly reached out to his close high school friend, Yu Jianjun, an outstanding scientist with years of deep expertise in synthetic biology. Dr. Yu holds a Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry from East China University of Science and Technology and serves as a postdoctoral supervisor. He previously worked as a senior engineer at GlaxoSmithKline, a globally renowned pharmaceutical company, and holds a world patent for his invention.

The two hit it off immediately and co-founded MSJ in 2018, embarking together on an entrepreneurial journey in anti-aging skincare.

In the early stages of its founding, MSJ closely followed the blueprint drawn by Zhao Hua, making steady progress in anti-aging skincare products. After three years of dedicated research and development and meticulous refinement, it finally launched its first anti-aging skincare product in 2021.

However, the market environment is highly volatile. Faced with sluggish consumer demand and intensifying price wars, Zhao Hua admitted to VCBeat that although MSJ had devoted three years to research and development, “marketing in the consumer sector requires substantial investment; after spending three years on R&D, we no longer have the funds to expand our market presence.” In light of this, the company decided to adjust its strategic direction, leveraging its deep expertise and advantages in synthetic biology to shift its focus from market expansion to technological R&D, thereby transforming into a biotechnology company.

In 2021, following discussions among internal shareholders, MSJ decided to pivot and open a new “battlefield” in the field of serious medical care.

Following its transformation, MSJ has rapidly built core competitiveness by leveraging its accumulated R&D expertise, establishing a technical system for “fibronectin + collagen” recombinant dual-protein structure and sequence optimization.

Recombinant collagen is a protein synthesized through bioengineering techniques that mimics the structure and function of naturally occurring human collagen. It exhibits characteristics such as high molecular purity, well-defined structure, ease of modulation, superior water solubility, and excellent processability. Its enhanced antioxidant properties effectively protect the skin against oxidative damage.

Fibronectin (Fn), as a core component of the extracellular matrix, is extensively involved in every critical aspect of cellular life. It demonstrates remarkable capabilities in promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration, particularly during wound healing, thereby accelerating the repair process, reducing scarring, and improving healing quality.

Inspired by the “FN Shock Therapy” published in The Lancet by Fu Xiaobing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, MSJ ingeniously fuses effective fragments derived from the human collagen genome with amino acid sequence fragments of fibronectin that promote adhesion and growth. This creates a unique microcapsule pattern that not only achieves synergistic expression by combining the advantages of both components but also ensures the full manifestation of collagen’s biological activity, delivering a “1+1>2” effect.

“Type III collagen is the optimal choice for filler-type medical devices,” Zhao Hua told VCBeat. Although Type I collagen offers excellent structural support, it is somewhat lacking in promoting skin regeneration and repair. Type XVII collagen has greater advantages in anti-aging and maintaining the health of hair follicle stem cells, making its characteristics more suitable for cosmetic applications rather than as a filler material. In contrast, Type III collagen stands out among various collagens due to its unique regenerative capacity, becoming the ideal raw material for filler-type medical devices.

MSJ’s recombinant fibronectin type III collagen (brand name: Meiyan Qingji) integrates multiple benefits, including moisturizing, repair, and wrinkle reduction. Its unique amino acid sequence matches up to 350 sites in the human body, ensuring high biocompatibility. Building on the inherent advantages of type III collagen, its molecular weight has been precisely reduced to 32 kDa—only one-tenth that of native type III collagen—with a molecular size controlled at approximately 20–30 nm. This significantly promotes the proliferation of endogenous collagen in the skin and markedly enhances the deep dermal penetration and absorption efficiency of the recombinant dual-protein complex.

Furthermore, its amino acid sequence can be designed and optimized according to specific requirements to achieve customized synthesis, enabling MSJ’s recombinant collagen to deliver more comprehensive efficacy and provide tailored solutions for different types of skin concerns.

MSJ has not rested on its laurels; instead, it has further deepened the integration of its independently developed recombinant gene-editing technology with AI, ingeniously constructing a “Protein Sequence Editing and Optimization Platform” to lay a solid foundational platform for the comprehensive application of recombinant collagen technology.

This platform revolutionizes the labor-intensive process of sequence optimization traditionally reliant on extensive manual effort in laboratories. By standardizing the workflow for optimizing gene sequence fragments, it not only significantly shortens the R&D cycle but also greatly enhances work efficiency and precision. More importantly, the protein sequence editing and optimization platform can efficiently and precisely perform recombinant sequence optimization and expression for proteins required by various parts of the human body, thereby enhancing the specific functions of these proteins to meet diverse and customized medical needs.

The application scope of this technological system extends far beyond dermatology; like a key, it unlocks new avenues for sequential screening and optimization across the entire body, including the oral cavity, bones, and internal organs, demonstrating broad application prospects and immense potential.

Leveraging this platform, MSJ has successfully developed multiple cutting-edge achievements, including recombinant human BMP-2 protein, recombinant human GDF-11/BMP-11 protein, and recombinant metallothionein, laying the foundation for the subsequent research and development of Class III implantable medical devices and innovative collagen-based devices.

To stabilize cash flow and ensure the company’s sustainable and healthy development, MSJ has launched an anti-aging skincare line and Class II medical device products, thereby achieving “self-sustaining revenue generation.”

It is reported that MSJ has completed the research, development, and production of yeast-expressed recombinant fibronectin-like humanized collagen, enabling mass production at a 200L scale. The company achieved annual revenue exceeding RMB 10 million last year.

Meanwhile, the company has proactively laid out its strategy in innovative fields and is exploring the development of a novel innovative medical device for aesthetic dermal fillers using nano-encapsulation technology. The product has completed preliminary animal trials with favorable results. Given that this product category remains untapped in the domestic market, MSJ is well-positioned to seize the first-mover advantage and pioneer the filling of this market gap.

Furthermore, MSJ has developed and stockpiled multiple cutting-edge technologies, including recombinant human BMP-2 protein and hydroxyapatite-based active bone repair products. These innovations aim to comprehensively replace existing animal-derived collagen products with safer and more efficient solutions, thereby achieving deep integration and application of recombinant collagen technology across various fields.

Although financing in the recombinant collagen sector has been scarce this year, MSJ has successfully attracted capital market favor by leveraging its unique competitive advantages and market potential. Just this past July, MSJ announced the completion of its tens-of-millions-of-yuan Series A financing round, led by Shanghai Jiusheng Shanhe Investment, with follow-on investments from Zhangjiagang Jinxin Capital and Zhangjiagang Venture Capital (Zhangchuangtou).

Addressing the industry’s heated debate over the “triple-helix structure,” Zhao Hua Biao argued that research efforts should prioritize “continuous sequence optimization” over the “pursuit of structural morphology.” Attention should be focused on the activity and efficacy of the final recombinant protein, rather than being confined to its morphological form.

“The triple helix is not the sole focus; there are many other ways to promote endogenous collagen regeneration. One should not overemphasize structure at the expense of activity and efficacy, thereby putting the cart before the horse,” emphasized Zhao Hua.

He also pointed out that the surge in popularity of recombinant collagen has attracted many new market entrants. In their rush to accelerate R&D, some of these newcomers have neglected the careful selection and screening of amino acid sequences, opting instead to “cut corners” by copying the entire human protein sequence and marketing it as “full-length.” In reality, such products contain numerous ineffective fragments. Although the term “full-length” suggests a high degree of similarity to native human collagen sequences, the final efficacy remains somewhat compromised.

Finally, Zhao Hua concluded, “Whether it is the triple-helix structure or the full-length sequence, these factors are not as critical as they may seem. What truly matters is the continuous optimization of sequences to enhance protein activity and efficacy. Over the past three years, MSJ has systematically validated the effectiveness of various functional fragments in collagen and successfully isolated highly potent fragments. Through precise ‘tailoring’ and processing technologies, we have preserved the core functionalities of these fragments while effectively reducing their molecular weight, thereby achieving structural optimization. Furthermore, the company has proactively integrated AI technology to build a protein sequence optimization platform, which undergoes continuous iteration and upgrades. This initiative aims to further enhance the specific functions of various target proteins, meeting higher demands for biological activity and application.”