SCTIMST Innovates World’s First Gall Bladder-Derived Tissue Graft To Accelerate Wound Healing

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, has developed an innovative animal-derived tissue graft scaffold that could significantly improve the treatment of chronic non-healing wounds. The institute functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The breakthrough is based on a novel technology that extracts extracellular matrix (ECM) from the gall bladders of farm animals and converts it into wound-healing products. Using this approach, SCTIMST has developed and commercialised a tissue graft product called Cholederm, designed to promote faster healing while minimising scarring.

According to the institute, Cholederm is particularly effective in managing long-standing non-healing wounds, infected wounds and wounds that require removal of dead tissue. It also acts as a biological scaffold that supports the growth of new cells, aiding tissue regeneration.

The product was developed under the leadership of Prof. T. V. Anilkumar from the Division of Experimental Pathology. Research on deriving therapeutic products from animal sources has been ongoing at SCTIMST since 2008. The work has resulted in more than 25 publications in international scientific journals and the grant of 10 Indian patents, earning recognition from the national and global scientific community.

Cholederm is described as the world’s first wound-care product developed using gall bladder-derived extracellular matrix from farm animals. It is also India’s first indigenously developed animal-source Class D medical device to receive approval for commercial production under the Medical Device Rules, 2017.

The innovation adds value to slaughterhouse bio-waste, as animal gall bladders—typically discarded as waste—are used as raw material. This approach not only reduces waste but also creates additional income opportunities for farmers.

The technology for manufacturing Cholederm was transferred in 2017 to Alicon Medical Private Limited, a startup incubated at SCTIMST’s Technology Incubation and Medical Entrepreneurship Development (TIMED) centre. The product was registered under the brand name Cholederm and, in 2023, received regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) as a Class D medical device.

The development comes as a support towards India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in medical device manufacturing and aligns with national initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Ayushman Bharat and Viksit Bharat. Efforts are currently underway to manufacture Cholederm in line with international regulatory standards, including US FDA and CE certifications.

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