Oxford-based biotech start-up Newrotex has taken new manufacturing, laboratory and office space at The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington as it enters a critical phase of clinical and operational scale-up.
The clinical-stage company has secured 1,680 sq ft of space at the centre as it advances development of its implantable silk-based medical devices designed to treat long-gap peripheral nerve injuries.
Founded by trauma and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Alex Woods from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Oxford, alongside Professor Fritz Vollrath from the University’s Department of Biology, Newrotex is targeting a major unmet need in reconstructive surgery.
The company’s proprietary nerve repair devices are made using natural silk fibres produced by Golden Orb Weaver spiders under controlled GMP laboratory conditions.
The silk has demonstrated biocompatibility, biodegradability and strong nerve cell affinity, while offering room temperature stability and flexibility in length and diameter, supporting scalable manufacture and global distribution.
Acting as a regenerative scaffold, the silk device enables severed nerve ends to regrow and reconnect across large gaps. Around 1.5 million patients worldwide undergo peripheral nerve injury surgery each year, with current gold-standard treatments relying on autografts that require removal of healthy nerve from elsewhere in the body.
Newrotex’s off-the-shelf solution is designed to eliminate donor nerve harvest and enable repair of gaps up to 10cm.
The company has received funding from investors and Innovate UK and began its First-in-Human clinical study in August 2025.
The study evaluates its flagship product, SilkAxons®, in motor and sensory nerve gaps between 8cm and 10cm, with early observations indicating encouraging safety and performance signals ahead of primary outcome completion in February 2026.
Dr Alex Woods, founder and chief executive officer of Newrotex, said:
“This move reflects a strategic shift for Newrotex as we prepare for pivotal clinical studies and market entry. The Wood Centre for Innovation provides the infrastructure and environment we need to scale our manufacturing processes, advance regulatory readiness, and execute our clinical roadmap.
“The combination of high-quality laboratory facilities and a collaborative innovation community will enable us to accelerate our growth and ultimately bring this transformative nerve-repair treatment closer to patients.”
Steve Burgess, chief executive officer of The Oxford Trust, added:
“We are delighted to welcome Newrotex to our Wood Centre for Innovation. Their work in nerve regeneration is truly pioneering and exemplifies the type of science-led innovation the Trust aims to support in our centres.
“With its woodland setting in the heart of the Headington Science Cluster, the centre is home to a thriving community of companies driving breakthroughs across biotech and deeptech.”
