A groundbreaking neural orthosis that restores hand function is moving closer to market thanks to TIGER’s Expert Assessment service. German health tech innovator GraspAgain has leveraged TIGER‘s cross-border expertise network to navigate complex regulatory pathways and accelerate its development timeline.
“We develop an orthosis that restores hand function for people with paralysis following stroke or spinal cord injury,” explains Dominik Braun, CEO of GraspAgain. “Our technology detects muscle activity in the forearm even when there is no visible hand movement, allowing us to interpret the user’s intentions and enable functional movement.”
Regulatory and Market Entry Challenges
As an emerging medical device company still connected to university research, GraspAgain faced significant challenges. The company needed expert guidance on medical device regulations (MDR) and insights into reimbursement pathways beyond their established German market knowledge.
TIGER’s expert assessment service connected GraspAgain with specialists in medical device regulation and reimbursement systems across Alpine regions. Julia Wagner from the Geriatric Health Centers of the City of Graz, a TIGER partner, assembled a team of experts to address GraspAgain’s specific challenges. “Our experts provided an initial outline for the strategic MDR roadmap by identifying classification requirements and estimating the associated regulatory costs. In addition, reimbursement experts explained the structural differences between Germany and Austria and suggested strategic entry points for exploring the most suitable reimbursement pathway.,” Wagner explains.
Cross-Border Collaboration
This cross-border collaboration exemplifies TIGER’s mission to establish sustainable cooperation across the Alpine space. The partnership proved particularly valuable for GraspAgain.
“This collaboration has definitely accelerated our market entry timeline by allowing us to plan effectively with the right information,” confirms Braun. “We can now incorporate these considerations into our strategic planning from an early stage.”
This success story demonstrates how TIGER is empowering health innovators across the Alpine space to develop impactful solutions and navigate the path from concept to market success. For more information about TIGER’s expert services for eHealth innovators, visit tigerpath.eu.
