Episode 117: Monica Wellejus-The Road to 3D Printed Bone

Ossiform is on track to bring the first 3D printed resorbable bone implant to the US market. The company’s preclinical data showed full bone regeneration in six months. Monica Wellejus, Chief Commercial Officer of Ossiform, joins The Lattice to explain how a company built to personalize bone implants for craniomaxillofacial surgeries pivoting to mass produced bone implant for foot deformity, and why hospital finance teams, not just the surgeons, may decide whether this technology actually reaches patients.
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed do not constitute engineering, medical, or financial advice. The technologies and procedures discussed may not be commercially available or suitable for every case. Always consult with a qualified professional

About Our Guest:

Monica Wellejus

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Monica Wellejus is a technology commercialization strategist who has spent the past seven years working at the intersection of biomaterials and medical 3D printing. With an MA in Business, Language, and Culture, Monica entered the field from a non-technical angle but quickly became involved in all aspects of bringing bone regenerative solutions to market, from product development and quality control to regulatory pathways, evidence generation, and global commercialization strategies. She has been part of Ossiform® since 2019, where she manages the company’s commercial and go-to-market activities as the Chief Commercial Officer. Ossiform® develops 3D printed bioactive bone substitutes with an aim to improve bone healing outcomes, simplify complex procedures, and reduce complication rates in orthopedics and spine. Its novel 3D printing technology is further used to provide bone-mimicking 3D cell culture systems for improving the physiological relevance of in vitro models in bone and cancer research.

Email: mw@ossiform.com

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro | Why 3D printed bone has not reached patients yet

02:08 Meet Monica Wellejus and Ossiform

05:41 How Ossiform prints bone substitutes using β-TCP ceramics

10:12 The long road to FDA clearance and U.S. market entry

14:03 Why Ossiform moved away from personalized implants

18:26 Listening to surgeons changed everything

23:47 Flatfoot reconstruction and Ossiform’s first clinical products

30:18 Fundraising, commercialization, and building a MedTech startup

38: 54 The hidden decision-makers in healthcare adoption

46:31 The future of bone regeneration, AI, and point-of-care manufacturing

Key Topics

Monica’s pathway to becoming CCO of a deep-tech MedTech startup

Why a 40-year-old ceramic becomes something new when printed into a resorbable bone substitute

How synthetic consistency became Ossiform’s sharpest argument against donor bone

What a pig mandible study revealed about full bone remodeling in six months

Why 95% of surgeons want something off the shelf, not a custom implant

How foot deformity correction became Ossiform’s beachhead, chosen for fit not market size

Why hospital CFOs and value analysis committees are now as important as the surgeon

Why Ossiform pursued FDA clearance before a CE mark

Monica’s vision for point-of-care bone printing and AI-driven customization

Resources

🔗 Contact Monica Wellejus

🔗 Ossiform & 3D Printed Bone

🔗 Hear More from Monica

🔗 Selected Publications

🔗 Relevant 3DHEALS Links

3D Bioprinting Bone – One Defect At A Time (Expert Corner)

Interview with Dr. Brad Estes: 3D Woven Bone



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