How I made this: Chris Bladen & Gerald Zamponi - Zymedyne Therapeutics
Meet the innovative minds behind a non-addictive, opioid-free treatment for chronic pain, taking shape in Macquarie Park: Zymedyne Therapeutics.
Founded by Dr Chris Bladen (CEO & Co-founder) and Dr Gerald Zamponi (Co-founder), the Zymedyne team are on a mission to provide safer, more effective treatment for chronic pain, which affects a staggering one-third of the global population.
“Chronic pain is a major clinical and societal problem for which there are very few adequate treatment options” says Zamponi, highlighting the potential impact of their proof of concept.
Zymedyne’s journey began in 2017 when Bladen was offered an opportunity to conduct research on pain and epilepsy at Macquarie University.
When COVID hit in 2020, Bladen was locked-down during a visit to Canada. At this time, the University of Calgary was offering commercialisation opportunities for start-ups, so together he and Zamponi pitched their idea for a novel pain therapy solution.
When restrictions finally eased, Bladen returned to Australia to continue his work at Macquarie University and establish Zymedyne as a subsidiary:
“I joined Macquarie Incubator almost as soon as I came back to Australia…their connectivity has been invaluable”, he says.
As Zymedyne gears up for the next phase of its mission - which includes human clinical trials - Bladen is confident in Macquarie Park’s innovative culture and ecosystem.
“Macquarie Park is the perfect setting. It’s called ‘Pill Hill’ for a reason”, he says.
Zymedyne’s novel approach to chronic pain treatment comes at a time when the world is grappling with an opioid crisis, and there is a pressing need for safer alternatives.
If successful, Zymedyne’s efforts have the potential to treat millions of chronic pain patients worldwide, while reducing the societal burden associated with opioid addiction.
Bladen recently presented Zymedyne’s work at SXSW Sydney - the global get together of leading thinkers, creators and innovators - using the opportunity to open up further discussion on opioid-free chronic pain relief and Zymedyne’s innovative mission.
Zymedyne has also been selected as a finalist in the TMRRW Awards AU/NZ 2023 which recognises local business, organisations and projects making a positive environmental and social impact. While the jury decides the winners, polling is now open for the People’s Choice Award - you can vote for Zymedyne here!
