Osteoarthritis affects over 500 million people worldwide and 32 million Americans. By 2030, it’s expected to impact one-fourth (!!) of the adult US population.

Currently, there are no existing therapies that can stop or reverse the disease. Patients are limited to temporary, palliative treatments that do nothing to actually address the root cause of cartilage degeneration.

Cytonics is on a path to change that. They’ve identified a naturally occurring protein, A2M, that blocks the destructive enzymes that cause cartilage breakdown. And they’ve proved that the natural A2M is a potent osteoarthritis therapy. With over 10,000 patients successfully treated by Cytonics’ first-generation therapy, they’ve put A2M on the map and established a new therapeutic solution to OA.

Now, Cytonics is developing a next-generation “super A2M” engineered from the naturally occurring protein. With a successful Phase 1 clinical trial under their belt, they’re raising $40 million for their next clinical study (which is a big one). Another successful clinical trial could open doors to new partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, or an IPO. As for their exit potential, it’s in the $500 million to $1 billion range based on comparable biotech exits.

The only caveat? They’re only open to non-institutional, retail investors.

Why no VC dollars?

Consider your investment portfolio. Are there any clinical-stage biotech companies in there? There’s a reason for the omission. The industry is almost exclusively funded by venture capital firms, which get exclusive access to early-stage biotech opportunities. The “everyday” investor is simply cut out.

Cytonics is one of the lone exceptions to this rule. Instead of gatekeeping their raise for VCs, hedge funds, or other institutional investors, they’re inviting individuals (and only individuals) to invest. Why? To avoid the control or influence that other biotech companies typically face, protect their cap table from massive dilution, and put the power back in the hands of the people.

Cytonics’ mission is to create a disease-modifying treatment for osteoarthritis, not mask symptoms. And by raising exclusively with everyday investors, they can maintain the freedom to develop that solution while also allowing everyoneto share in their success.

The landscape is primed

This isn’t the first time Cytonics has successfully commercialized an osteoarthritis therapy. They have already developed an FDA-cleared therapy called “APIC” that’s backed by over a decade of research. It’s been used to treat over 10,000 patients.

However, APIC is a medical device that’s reliant on purifying the natural A2M molecule found in patients’ blood for direct injection into their damaged joints. It’s cumbersome, not covered by insurance, and requires equipment and training. That’s why Cytonics is creating an even more potent treatment by tweaking the A2M gene sequence so that it can more potently target the molecular cause of joint degradation. And they’re advancing this next-gen therapy through randomized clinical trials to get the backing of insurance payers.

Long term, Cytonics’ solution could have a ripple effect that includes the 32 million Americans affected by osteoarthritis. In the US, knee replacements cost up to $33,000 per patient with 790,000 surgeries annually. Zooming out and looking at it globally, there’s the $1.1+ trillion economic burden of the disease. Altogether, Cytonics is looking at a $560 market opportunity.

If you know anyone who’s had a knee replacement, you know it’s a serious procedure with long-term side effects that can debilitate quality of life. Most people would rather preserve their mobility than endure it. And that alternative solution is preciselyCytonics’ goal.

Your move, investors

Turns out, retail investors show up strong when given the opportunity in biotech investing. Cytonics has raised over $25 million to date from over 7,000 retail shareholders. They’ve also secured $1.8 million in National Institute of Health (NIH) grants.

With this next pivotal funding round, Cytonics is looking at a major potential clinical inflection point. Translation: It’s prime time to get involved.

Learn more about becoming an investor in Cytonics and join over 7,000 retail investors who’ve already joined the mission for a cure.