A gel that helps wounds heal faster.
HealGel combines chitosan, a natural biopolymer, with repaglinide in a soft hydrogel dressing. In research it sped up wound closure, fought bacteria and improved tissue regeneration.
The problem
Chronic wounds heal slowly and cost patients dearly.
Diabetic and chronic wounds can stay open for months, raising the risk of infection and amputation. Dressings that actively support healing and fight bacteria can change outcomes.
of people with diabetes develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime.
repaglinide formulation (Hy-R3%) gave the best results in our study.
significant antibacterial activity shown against this common wound pathogen.
Sources: Armstrong et al., NEJM (2017) for diabetic foot ulcer incidence; results from the founding research paper (2025).
How it works
How it works
A clear path from data to decision.
Formulate
Chitosan is dissolved and loaded with repaglinide at 1% or 3%.
Apply
The hydrogel is applied directly to the wound as a moist dressing.
Protect
It absorbs fluid, resists bacteria and keeps the wound environment stable.
Regenerate
It supports re-epithelialisation, collagen deposition and tissue remodelling.
Product
What makes it different.
Every feature is grounded in the founding research.
Faster wound closure
Hy-R3% accelerated closure of full-thickness wounds in vivo.
Antibacterial
Significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus.
Porous structure
Improved surface morphology with more pores and better swelling behaviour.
Repurposed drug
Gives a well-known diabetes medicine a new role in wound healing.
Who it's for
Who it's for.
Diabetic foot clinics
An active dressing for hard-to-heal ulcers.
Hospitals & wound-care nurses
Simple application within existing dressing routines.
Pharmaceutical partners
A licensable formulation ready for further development.
The research
Built on peer-reviewed research.
- Prepared chitosan hydrogels loaded with 1% and 3% repaglinide (Hy-R1%, Hy-R3%).
- Hy-R3% showed superior morphology, swelling and degradation versus control.
- Highest cell viability and significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus.
- In a rat full-thickness wound model, Hy-R3% accelerated closure with better collagen deposition and minimal inflammation.
Hsu, C.-Y., et al. (2025). Therapeutic potential of repaglinide-embedded chitosan hydrogel in promoting wound healing. Regenerative Therapy, 29, 551–562.
Team
The team behind it.
Founded in 2025 by a student team from the faculty below.
Faculty of Pharmacy
Formulation, drug delivery and pre-clinical evaluation.
FAQ
Questions we hear often.
Is HealGel available for patients?
Not yet. It has shown strong pre-clinical results and is moving toward further testing.
Why repaglinide?
Our research shows this existing medicine can be repurposed to support wound healing, especially in diabetic wounds.
Is this a finished commercial product?
It is a research-based student startup moving from validated prototype toward pilots with real users.
Can we partner or run a pilot?
Yes. We are looking for organisations willing to test the solution in real conditions and share feedback.
Bring HealGel to your organisation.
We are onboarding pilot partners now. Read the research and get in touch.