- Microparticle hydrogel shows clean systemic toxicity profile over 4 weeks and 13 weeks
- Device designed to restore shock-absorbing capacities of joints in osteoarthritis
- Allegro plans to start pivotal clinical trials in osteoarthritis patients in 2025
Liege, Belgium – 25 March 2025 (08:30 CET) – Allegro NV, a biomedical company developing transformative nanotechnology-based devices for osteoarthritis, has found that hydrocelin (ALG-001), its injectable microparticle hydrogel, showed no signs of toxicity in two preclinical studies conducted for periods of 4 and 13 weeks respectively. These positive results build on hydrocelin’s clean safety profile immediately following treatment, established in previously published preclinical studies. Allegro intends to launch a multi-center pivotal clinical study in osteoarthritis patients in Belgium later this year.
“It is gratifying to be able to announce another set of positive results as we near a first-in-human testing for hydrocelin. Allegro is working tirelessly to give mobility back to the millions of people around the world whose life is severely impacted by osteoarthritis, a condition for which there is lots of room for improvement in managing the symptoms. We believe the unique properties of hydrocelin, if confirmed in clinical studies, could be a huge step in achieving that goal,” said Lucas Decuypere, Allegro Chief Executive Officer.
Hydrocelin contains cross-linked microparticles that are designed to act as tiny shock absorbers in the synovial fluid of the joints. Restoring the shock-absorbing capacity of the synovial fluid is intended to provide pain relief, and protect cartilage.
The two preclinical studies were conducted in rats, one over a period of 4 weeks and the other for 13 weeks. Hydrocelin was injected subcutaneously in four separate locations, with a negative control group receiving saline solution. Neither study showed any evidence of systemic toxicity.