The Business of Biofabrication

Washington D.C. based startup Nanochon has announced a major regulatory milestone: Health Canada has approved the company’s trial design, granting permission to begin its first-in-human clinical study for the company’s patented Chondrograft™ System, a biofabricated cartilage restoration implant.

The upcoming early feasibility study will enroll 10 patients between the ages of 22 and 60 who suffer from articular cartilage lesions in the femoral condyle and,or trochlea and have failed conservative therapies. The trial will assess the safety and performance of the Chondrograft™ device, with clinical goals that include restoring the cartilage-bone matrix, improving knee function and pain, and delaying or avoiding total knee arthroplasty.

The study will be conducted at Durham Bone & Joint Specialists (DBJS) in Ontario under the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr. Fathi Abuzgaya, a veteran orthopedic surgeon and researcher who has led over 600 clinical trials. He will be joined by Drs. Joel Lobo, Kajeandra Ravichandiran, and Marcin Kowalczuk as sub-investigators and sports medicine specialists.

A Biofabricated Implant Designed for Immediate Function

Chondrograft™ is a 3D printed, minimally-invasive cartilage implant that uniquely enables immediate weight-bearing and joint motion a key differentiator from current surgical interventions. Designed to integrate with native tissue over time, the implant is based on innovations from the Tissue Engineering and Nanotechnology Lab at George Washington University, where Holmes developed the underlying platform technology during his doctoral research.

By combining nanoscale surface engineering and additive manufacturing, Chondrograft™ promotes both cartilage and bone regeneration in a single-step surgical procedure. Preclinical data suggests the device may significantly reduce patient downtime and delay or prevent the need for more invasive procedures like total knee replacement, particularly valuable for younger, active patients.

Looking Ahead

While this first trial will take place in Canada, Nanochon views it as the foundation for a larger clinical program. With a growing number of patients experiencing cartilage injuries earlier in life and limited solutions that effectively restore joint function Nanochon’s biofabricated implant could play a pivotal role in transforming orthopedic care.

The company’s long-term vision is to redefine the standard of care for cartilage repair with a solution that restores function, reduces recovery time, and avoids short-term fixes or overly invasive alternatives.

About Nanochon

Nanochon is a Washington D.C.–based medical device startup developing a minimally invasive, 3D-printed implant called Chondrograft™ for the treatment of knee cartilage injuries in active, younger patients. Built on research from George Washington University, the implant combines structural support with tissue-regenerative properties, enabling immediate weight-bearing and faster recovery. Unlike current grafts or biologics, Chondrograft™ is fully synthetic, off-the-shelf, and designed to integrate with native cartilage and bone.

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