PEEK is an important material in the medical device industry. Together with an ambitious inventor and entrepreneur, Evonik has developed a variant of the thermoplastic that allows the manufacturing of 3D-printed implants that could improve the health of patients
Medtech
Extreme Extremeties
The prosthesis of the future might be controlled via motor impulses from the neural pathways just as well as a hand, for example. The futurologists at Evonik have taken a look at where current developments might lead.
Medtech
Healing bones with Polymers
Broken bones, torn tendons, and damaged intervertebral discs are painful and impair quality of life. Evonik’s Medical Devices Project House develops materials that support healing and can spare patients further surgery. The first products are now being launched on the market
Chart
An overview of vaccination methods
Vaccinations train the immune defenses against dangerous pathogens. Various processes have already been established for many decades. In the future, genetically based vaccines could join them—in the fight against the coronavirus and beyond
3D Printing
Improving patients’ quality of life
Wai Yee Yeong is a researcher in Singapore who is studying the production of human tissue with the help of bioprinters. This process could not only speed up drug tests and make animal testing unnecessary—but also revolutionize transplantation medicine.
Squalene enhances the effect of pharmaceutical products and plays an important role in research into new therapies. Until now this raw material was primarily extracted from shark livers. Evonik is now presenting an alternative product made from amaranth oil
Lipid Nanoparticles
rPEG lipids: Risk-free delivery
From coronavirus vaccines to medicines for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease—the applications for mRNA therapies are numerous and diverse. But how can the fragile RNA be delivered into cells effectively? A team of researchers from the University of Mainz in Germany and Evonik is working jointly to develop the perfect delivery system
Interview
Lipid nanoparticles for the medicine of the future
Dr. Andrea Engel, who is responsible for growth projects at Evonik’s Health Care business line, talks about the significance of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the mRNA active ingredients of the future
Interview
Are phages the new antibiotics?
How can harmful bacteria be combated when antibiotics are powerless? The bacteriaeating viruses known as phages have the potential to save countless human lives. This therapy has actually been well known for a long time, but the knowledge was lost in the West after World War II. It could become very important for a healthy future
Foresight
The development of hygiene
We live in an era of high-performance medicine. But even today, a long and healthy life would be unthinkable without progress in the area of hygiene