Leonardo Negron joins GINAN Biomedics
We are proud to welcome Dr. Leonardo Negron to Ginan Biomedics as our Chief Science Officer, bringing with him a wealth of expertise in protein science, biotechnology, and medical device innovation.
Leonardo joined Ginan in November 2022 to lead our scientific strategy and drive the development of novel biomaterials for orthopedic applications. With over 20 years of experience across the U.S. and New Zealand, Leonardo has held key roles at companies such as Roche Molecular Systems and Aroa Biosurgery, as well as senior research leadership positions at Callaghan Innovation.
His deep technical background—ranging from protein engineering and enzymology to wound healing and biologics manufacturing—positions him perfectly to guide Ginan’s R&D programs. Under his leadership, we are building a strong scientific foundation for the next generation of regenerative medical technologies.
We’re thrilled to have Leonardo on board as we continue our mission to transform patient outcomes through innovative biomaterials.
Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre (IMCRC) grant programme completed - April 2022
The IMCRC ran from 2016 to 2022 and was a highly successful, independent and for-impact Cooperative Research Centre that championed innovation across 71 research and development projects.
Ginan parent company, Bone Ligament Tendon received funding from 2019 to 2022 for a project with the University of Sydney to investigate the early feasibility into the use of kangaroo tendon for soft-tissue surgery.
Ginan Biomedics Completes Callaghan Innovation Project Grant!
Between December 2021 and June 2023, Ginan Biomedics was proud to be a recipient of a Callaghan Innovation Project Grant. This funding was instrumental in advancing our early-stage research and development of a collagen scaffold device for ACL reconstruction and other orthopedic applications.
Over the course of the project, we successfully completed feasibility testing and a pilot animal study. These efforts enabled us to select one of two prototype devices to take forward into formal product development.
Our pilot animal study provided encouraging histological evidence of biological integration, validating the scientific foundation of our device. Alongside this, we optimized decellularization protocols, established manufacturing techniques, and expanded our quality management framework in preparation for design control.
Thanks to this project, our R&D team grew from 1 to 6 full-time scientists and engineers, developing hard-to-find expertise in collagen science, tissue regeneration, biological characterization, and biomechanical testing.
We are deeply grateful to Callaghan Innovation for their support, especially to Andrew Clews, Mark Robinson, David Clarke, and Jamie Attenborough for their invaluable guidance and connections.
This milestone moves us closer to our vision of bringing regenerative solutions to patients worldwide.
SoHi Partners Invests in Ginan Biomedics to Advance Regenerative Medicine
Ginan Biomedics is excited to announce a strategic investment from SoHi Partners, an Australian venture capital firm specializing in transformative medical technologies. This partnership marks a significant milestone in Ginan's mission to develop innovative regenerative solutions for ligament and tendon reconstruction.
Founded in late 2023, SoHi Partners brings together a team of eminent surgeons, financial experts, and business leaders with a proven track record in medical and technology investment management. Their focus on cutting-edge medical technologies aligns seamlessly with Ginan's commitment to advancing healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes.
The investment from SoHi Partners will accelerate Ginan's product development and support the expansion of its research and manufacturing capabilities. With SoHi's backing, Ginan is well-positioned to bring its innovative solutions to the global market, addressing a significant need in orthopedic surgery.
Welcoming Russell Speiden as Chief Technology Officer at Ginan Biomedics
We’re excited to announce that Russell Speiden has joined Ginan Biomedics as our Chief Technology Officer as of January 2024.
Russell brings over a decade of leadership experience in the medical device industry, with deep expertise in product development, process engineering, and large-scale manufacturing. Prior to joining Ginan, Russell held senior technical and operational roles at Aroa Biosurgery, where he led multidisciplinary teams and drove innovation across collagen-based medical device production.
At Ginan, Russell will be spearheading the development of our engineering team and overseeing the establishment of our pilot manufacturing facility. His strategic insight and technical leadership will play a pivotal role as we move from R&D into commercialization and scale our biomaterials platform for orthopedic applications.
We’re thrilled to welcome Russell to the team and look forward to the impact he’ll make as we continue to push the boundaries of regenerative medicine.
Ginan Biomedics Expands into the John Lyttleton Building at AgResearch
In December 2024, the Ginan Biomedics team made an exciting move into the John Lyttleton Building at AgResearch in Palmerston North. This relocation marks a major milestone for us as we transition from our original, smaller laboratory into a space designed to support our next phase of growth.
The John Lyttleton Building provides multiple laboratories, significantly expanding our R&D capacity and giving us room for our team of 14 scientific, engineering and quality assurance staff. Importantly, the new space also includes dedicated areas for the construction of our clean room manufacturing facility, supporting our journey from research to scalable production.
Being based at AgResearch continues to offer valuable access to scientific collaboration and innovation, and we’re excited to be growing within such a dynamic research environment.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come—and even more excited for what’s next.
Ginan Biomedics Commissions Cleanroom Manufacturing Facility
We’re proud to announce that in April 2025, Ginan Biomedics officially commissioned our cleanroom manufacturing facility at the John Lyttleton Building in Palmerston North.
This marks a significant step forward in our mission to deliver high-quality biomaterials for orthopedic applications. The cleanroom facility is a purpose-built environment that will enable us to manufacture under controlled conditions, supporting both our preclinical development and future commercial production.
Commissioning the cleanroom is a major milestone on our path toward regulatory approval and market readiness. It also reflects the incredible efforts of our growing team, who have worked tirelessly to bring this critical infrastructure online.
With our manufacturing capabilities now in place, we’re excited to accelerate toward delivering regenerative solutions that improve patient outcomes worldwide.