[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-il ] L&C Bio ( L&C BIO(290650)), a company specializing in human tissue regenerative medicine, announced on the 23rd that it has released the results of a four-year mid-to-long-term clinical trial for “MegaCarti,” a medical device for knee cartilage regeneration, and is moving to expand into the Asian orthopedic market.

L&C BIO participated as a Diamond Sponsor alongside global medical device company CONMED at “APKASS 2026 Korea & ICKAS 2026,” held in Incheon from the 10th to the 12th. APKASS is an international academic organization comprising orthopedic medical professionals and researchers from the Asia-Pacific region specializing in the fields of the knee, arthroscopy, joint replacement, the shoulder, and sports medicine. Orthopedic experts from across the Asia-Pacific region attended this conference to share the latest treatment technologies and clinical research findings.

At this APKASS conference, L&C BIO and CONMED held a joint luncheon symposium to present the clinical value and long-term follow-up results of MegaCarti. Professor Jang Ki-mo of Korea University delivered a presentation titled “Beyond Microfracture: The Emerging Role of MegaCarti in Knee Cartilage Regeneration,” discussing knee cartilage regeneration therapy using MegaCarti and the results of a four-year follow-up study.

The results of the 4-year follow-up study on MegaCarti were published in the international academic journal *Scientific Reports*. The research team prospectively followed 40 patients who underwent a combination of MegaCarti and microfracture surgery for 4 years, assessing MRI-based cartilage regeneration status, pain, knee function, and quality of life.

The total MOCART score—an MRI-based indicator of cartilage regeneration—was 56.4 one year post-surgery, 58.3 at two years, 55.2 at three years, and 54.2 at four years. The proportion of homogeneous regenerated tissue increased from 41.3% at one year to 71.3% at four years.

Improvements were also observed in patient-reported outcomes. The IKDC score rose from 43.4 preoperatively to 72.4 at the 4-year mark, and the KOOS total score increased from 54.1 to 80.7. The VAS score, which measures pain, decreased from 49.0 to 12.6. Over the 4-year period, there were no cases of reoperation, total joint replacement, or additional cartilage surgery related to the treated lesion.

Based on this accumulated clinical evidence, L&C BIO is accelerating the commercialization of MegaCarti both domestically and internationally. L&C BIO has signed an agreement with CONMED for co-marketing in South Korea and exclusive sales in key Asian countries. Drawing on CONMED’s global orthopedic and sports medicine network and MegaCarti’s clinical data, the two companies plan to systematically pursue country-specific regulatory approvals, healthcare professional education, and expanded clinical adoption.

The two companies’ joint participation as Diamond Sponsors at this year’s APKASS and their hosting of a luncheon symposium are part of a strategy to expand their sales collaboration into the academic and healthcare professional education sectors and to enhance MegaCarti’s clinical evidence and brand awareness in the Asian market.

L&C BIO is also expanding its product portfolio in the orthopedics and musculoskeletal fields, centered on MegaCati. The allogeneic nerve graft “MegaNerve Prime” has been adopted by approximately 40 major university hospitals in Korea and is being used for nerve reconstruction, primarily in orthopedics and plastic surgery.

“MegaNOUSBO S,” based on acellular allogeneic dermis and hyaluronic acid, is a product used for the reconstruction of damaged soft tissues such as skin, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Recently, the company completed the registration of a domestic patent for tissue reconstruction technology utilizing the endogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) of human tendons and is seeking to expand the application of this technology to the tendon and ligament fields. Building on this, the company plans to establish a “Tissue-specific ECM Platform” that leverages the unique ECM characteristics of each tissue—including skin, bone, cartilage, nerves, and tendons—and continuously expand its product portfolio in the fields of orthopedics and musculoskeletal reconstruction.

An L&C BIO official stated, “This APKASS event provided an opportunity to directly share MegaCarti’s four-year mid-to-long-term clinical results with orthopedic medical professionals in the Asia-Pacific region and gauge their interest in the long-term maintenance of cartilage regeneration and clinical improvement outcomes.” The official added, “Based on our accumulated clinical evidence and CONMED’s global orthopedic network, we plan to strengthen MegaCarti’s domestic business while expanding commercialization into key Asian markets.”

The representative continued, “Starting with MegaCarti, we are continuously expanding our product portfolio—which leverages the unique characteristics of each tissue—to include MegaNerve Prime, MegaNOUSBO S, and future tendon ECM-based products.” They added, “We will develop our tissue-specific ECM platform into a core growth driver in the fields of orthopedics and musculoskeletal reconstruction to strengthen our competitiveness in the global market.”