Newrotex takes new R&D lab space at the Wood Centre for Innovation

Newrotex, a clinical-stage biotech start-up developing innovative silk-based medical devices for nerve repair, has taken 1,680 sq ft (156 sq m) of manufacturing and R&D laboratory and office space at The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington, Oxford, as it enters a critical phase of clinical and operational scale-up.

Founded by trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Alex Woods from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology & Musculoskeletal Sciences, and Professor Fritz Vollrath from University of Oxford’s department of biology, Newrotex has developed revolutionary implantable silk-based medical devices designed to address long-gap peripheral nerve injuries – a significant unmet need in reconstructive surgery. 

Newrotex’s proprietary nerve repair devices use natural silk fibres produced by Golden Orb Weaver spiders under controlled GMP conditions in the laboratory.

The silk has demonstrated biocompatibility, biodegradability and strong nerve cell affinity, and can be manufactured in varying lengths and diameters with room temperature stability – attributes that support utility for the wide breadth of nerve repair needs, scalable production and global distribution.

Acting as a regenerative scaffold, the silk device enables two ends of a severed nerve to regrow and reconnect across large gaps. 

Each year, approximately 1.5 million patients worldwide undergo peripheral nerve injury surgery. Current gold-standard treatments rely on “autografts”, requiring surgeons to remove healthy nerve from elsewhere in the patient’s body, increasing surgical time, morbidity, and cost.

Newrotex’s off-the-shelf device is designed to eliminate the need for this harmful donor nerve harvest whilst enabling repair of nerve gaps up to 10cm – a length not currently achievable by anything on the market today. This will open-up new standards of care for patients suffering trauma or undergoing reconstruction after cancer surgeries such as mastectomy or prostatectomy.

The company has been funded by investors and significant grant support from Innovate UK and has commenced its First-in-Human clinical study in August 2025.

This study evaluates Newrotex’s flagship product SilkAxons®, in motor and sensory nerve gaps between 8cm and 10cm. Preliminary clinical and patient-reported observations indicate encouraging safety and performance signals, with initial primary outcome completion in February 2026.

Subject to successful outcomes, Newrotex plans to initiate a multi-national pivotal study as part of US and UK regulatory submissions, with the objective of achieving first market approvals to bring the technology to patients in the United States and UK.

Newrotex’s relocation to the Wood Centre for Innovation marks the next stage in its growth as it expands its team, strengthens the scalability of quality and manufacturing systems and continues to build in line with commercial launch requirements.

Dr Alex Woods, founder and chief executive officer, Newrotex said: “This move reflects a strategic shift for Newrotex as we prepare for pivotal clinical studies and market entry. The Wood Centre for Innovation provides the infrastructure and environment we need to scale our manufacturing processes, advance regulatory readiness, and execute our clinical roadmap. The combination of high-quality laboratory facilities and a collaborative innovation community will enable us to accelerate our growth and ultimately bring this transformative nerve-repair treatment closer to patients.” 

Steve Burgess, chief executive officer, The Oxford Trust added: “We are delighted to welcome Newrotex to our Wood Centre for Innovation. Their work in nerve regeneration is truly pioneering and exemplifies the type of science-led innovation the Trust aims to support in our centres. With its woodland setting in the heart of the Headington Science Cluster, the centre is home to a thriving community of companies driving breakthroughs across biotech and deeptech.”

Newrotex joins a community of science and technology companies based at the Wood Centre for Innovation, which includes DJS Antibodies, Helio Display Materials, Jack Fertility, Lumai, Exogene and PicturaBio.

The Trust is investing £7 million in the construction of its new Aspen Building at the Wood Centre for Innovation. It will sit alongside the existing Linden Building and the Science Oxford Centre and provide new, high-quality mixed-use laboratory and technical workspace over two floors to support science and tech start-ups and scale-ups. The Aspen Building is scheduled for practical completion in July 2026 and is now available to pre-let, offering flexibility in design for incoming tenants.

The Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation is managed by Oxford Innovation, a spin-out from The Oxford Trust and the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres.