Project description
Thumbs up for a novel implantable prosthesis to restore human dexterity
Thanks to our opposable thumbs, we can turn a doorknob, raise a glass to toast a friend, zip a zipper, and so much more. Unfortunately, millions of people globally lose the ability to carry out activities of daily living due to arthritis in the joint at the base of the thumb. Until now, effective treatments were limited and development of prostheses complicated by the biomechanical requirements of this miniature yet powerful biological system. All that is about to change. The EU-funded InDx project is taking the world's first thumb-base-joint prosthesis to market. With plans for clinical trials, CE marking and FDA approval, the prosthesis is slated to hit the market in 2021.
Objective
The thumb base joint is fundamental for human dexterity and functional activity but is prone to debilitating arthritis. Approximately 5% of the world population suffers from this condition with over 25 million Europeans affected. Simple tasks become impossible such as getting dressed, opening a jar, using a key to open a door. This is certainly a relevant socioeconomic and humanitarian concern, which causes a substantial cost burden on healthcare systems, yet the effective treatment for end-stage thumb base arthritis lags far behind other joints, given challenges of the small, complex anatomy.
The InDx project aims to enable the commercialization of the InDx implant, the world’s first implant designed to accommodate the complex biomechanics of the thumb base joint and restore the natural movement of the thumb. The consortium is led by Loci Orthopaedics, a technology-driven SME spin-out company from the National University of Ireland, Galway. The partners include EndoLab in Germany, that has developed a novel dynamic test station for implants, NAMSA in the UK, a leading medical research organization with extensive experience in running international clinical investigations, and Medvie, an Irish based SME with extensive project management, dissemination and commercialization expertise. Together, the consortium have brought the implant to TRL 6 level. As part of the InDx project, the consortium will undertake the final stages of product development and will validate clinical results in a clinical study that will prepare the CE marking and market access. Market launch is planned within 24 months from the project start date, following FDA 510K approval in the USA and CE marking in Europe. The consortium estimates cumulative revenues of €51M within 5 years from the start of commercialisation and an employment growth of 25 FTEs for the consortium partners. The InDx has the potential to be a disruptive innovation in the surgical management of thumb base joint arthritis.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine anatomy and morphology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine rheumatology
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery surgical procedures
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine orthopaedics
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EC - Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IA - Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
H91 H2Y0 Galway
Ireland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.