SolasCure and the EIC Accelerator: A Maggot Enzyme for Wounds

SolasCure, founded in 2017 as a spin-off of the German company BRAIN Biotech and based in Cambridge, UK, develops Aurase Wound Gel, a hydrogel containing tarumase, a recombinant enzyme originally cloned from medical maggots, which removes dead tissue from chronic wounds such as venous leg ulcers without causing pain. In November 2023 it announced it had been "selected to receive European Innovation Council (EIC) funding" from the June 2023 Accelerator cut-off, one of 47 companies and three in the UK, according to SolasCure. The award was a grant only. SolasCure does not appear in CORDIS, the EU's project database, so the project's budget, dates and reports are not public.

SolasCure completed its second Phase II trial, CLEANVLU2, in patients with treatment-resistant venous leg ulcers in February 2026. At higher enzyme concentrations, after 26 days, the gel achieved "65% debridement versus 9% in control (p=0.005) and 58% wound area reduction versus 15% in control (p=0.022)", with no additional pain, according to SolasCure. The company has said a further, longer Phase II study will come before confirmatory Phase III trials. It also received Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for calciphylaxis ulcers in 2025.

Where SolasCure Stands Now

SolasCure's accounts for the year to June 2026 show cash of £113,155, down from £810,344 a year earlier and £1.87 million in 2023, net assets of £3.51 million, and nine employees on average, according to filings at Companies House. It allotted new shares in December 2024 and September 2025, and filed director changes in 2025 and 2026. It has collaborated with the US Army Institute of Surgical Research on combat wound care. No new funding round or partnership deal has been announced since the trial results.

The Technology: Borrowing From Maggots

Chronic wounds affect around 100 million people globally, and after six weeks of standard care as few as 41% close, according to SolasCure. Dead tissue in the wound slows healing, and removing it surgically or with existing products is often painful. Maggots have long been used to clean wounds; SolasCure cloned one of their enzymes, which targets fibrin, collagen and elastin, and put it in a gel. The company says it also activates receptors involved in tissue repair.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The EIC selected SolasCure to develop Aurase Wound Gel, but because the company is not in CORDIS, what exactly the project promised and whether it reported completion are not public. The clinical record since 2023 is positive: a successful Phase IIa, a larger Phase II with statistically significant results, and an FDA Fast Track designation. Confirmatory Phase III trials, needed for approval, have not started.

1. Phase II efficacy dataDeliveredCLEANVLU2, February 2026.
2. Regulatory progressStartedFDA Fast Track, 2025.
3. EIC project reportingUnverifiedNot in CORDIS.
4. Financing for Phase IIINot announcedCash £113,155.

The Money

SolasCure raised a £10.9 million Series B in March 2023 led by Seneca Partners, according to SolasCure, and a £405,000 Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst grant in March 2024. The amount of its EIC grant has not been published by the company. Its falling cash means it needs new money to reach Phase III.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Chronic wounds are common, painful and expensive, and treatment has changed little. A pain-free gel that cleans and heals faster could help millions. SolasCure has strong Phase II data; it needs a partner or investors to reach Phase III, and its accounts show little room to wait.

The Verdict

SolasCure and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.