Orthocell – The startup repairing nerve tissue with pig collagen

Hey Superheroes,

While WA is better known for churning out mining magnates than medical marvels, there’s an ASX-listed company that’s caught the attention of some seriously heavy hitters. Let’s dive into why everyone’s talking about this Perth-based breakthrough.

Orthocell: The Next Aussie Medical Success Story? 🏥

Imagine a medical patch made from Australian pigs that can repair damaged nerves without stitches. That’s exactly what Orthocell (ASX:OCC) has created, and it’s not just any old biotech story – this one’s backed by some of Australia’s biggest names.

🌟 Star-Studded Support

The company’s share registry reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Australian business:

• Billionaire businessman Kerry Stokes
• Football star Chris Judd
• iiNet founder Michael Malone
• Navitas’ Rod Jones

But it’s not just the investors turning heads. The company’s board is equally impressive, featuring former Labor leader Kim Beazley (bringing defence expertise for treating combat injuries) and former Australian of the Year Fiona Wood.

💡 Why It Matters

According to chairman John Van Der Wielen, who also chairs Crown Perth and advises Blackstone, this isn’t your typical “pump and dump” biotech. He first spotted Orthocell’s potential while running health insurer HBF, seeing its ability to actually reduce healthcare costs – a rare find in the biotech world.

🔬 The Game-Changing Technology

The secret sauce? Collagen bundles made from Australian pigs that can:

• Repair bone and soft tissue
• Bind cells together without surgical stitching
• Leave no trace after six months
• Potentially restore function to paralysed limbs

👀 What’s Next

With $33 million in the bank and FDA clearance expected in early 2025, Orthocell is gearing up for its American dream. The US market is particularly promising, with nerve injuries 30 times more common than in Australia (despite having only 15 times the population).

The numbers are already looking solid:

• 50,000 patients treated
• 150 surgeons using the technology in Australia
• $2 million revenue last quarter
• Share price doubled since September
• Current market value: $210 million

Van Der Wielen’s only worry? The company might become too attractive to overseas buyers. As he puts it: “Australia has a fantastic history of innovation and a very sad history of losing its companies to large US pharma.”

🔦  Some other things we’re shining the Spotlight on:

APPLETISER: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) just hit an astronomical all-time high of $237.5, pushing its market cap to $3.58 trillion. The tech giant’s showing no signs of slowing with a 24.93% surge over the past year and $391.04B in revenue. Talk about taking a bite out of the competition!

CRYPTO SUMMER IS HERE: The OG crypto has finally smashed through $100,000, hitting an eye-watering $103,649 on Thursday. With Trump’s nomination of crypto-friendly Paul Atkins to head the SEC, the total crypto market is now worth more than Apple – sitting pretty at $3.8 trillion.

ADANI AFTERMATH: ASX:GQG Partners’ shares took a 14% nosedive to $2.02 after its risky $US10 billion Adani bet backfired. Following charges against billionaire Gautam Adani, investors pulled an estimated $US1.5 billion from the asset manager last month – quite the turn from their usual $2 billion monthly inflows.

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