One in eight women suffers from breast cancer and requires a mastectomy as treatment. Whilst treatment options are partially available to breast cancer patients, reconstructive cosmetics are not.

Despite the growing plastic surgery advancements, many breast cancer patients are left to their own devices in finding suitable post-treatment reconstruction options.

Driven by a personal experience - a dreadful one at that - Julien Payen, a textile scientist, and expert, gathered Pierre-Marrie Danze, Phillipe Marchetti, and Pierre Guerreschi to wake up the hibernating plastic surgery industry with a brilliant solution!

Lattice Medical introduces breast cancer patients with a selection of biodegradable implants, called Mattise. Re-encouraging the breast tissue to grow once more, the Matisse implants dissolve over time. This ensures every breast cancer patient a safe approach in maintaining their health, as well as aesthetics.

Inspired by thousands of breast cancer patients in need of sophisticated breast reconstructions, here’s how Lattice Medical turned despair to hope for thousands of patients worldwide.

Little Innovator, Grand Ambitions

Julien Payen was born and raised on the outskirts of France. As a child, he was impressed with inventions and the way they simplified life in general. As Julien entered his teenage years, his initial interest expanded into a full-blown passion for inventing. A millennial at heart, Julien bore a peculiar ambition in mind - to become a leading textile scientist.

Career-wise, Julien Payen decided to explore the connection between technology, chemistry, and fabrics. Thus, in 2002, he enrolled at ENSAIT: National School of Textile Arts and Industries. Since day one, Julien knew he was where he was supposed to be - at college, learning what he truly cared about.

As a student, Julien wasn't the typical nerd, surrounded by books -never taking the time to socialize. Not only did he party hard and hung out with his peers, but Julien also took on the role of president of the ENSAIT Musician Association. His ability to stay organized and think ahead would later become two of Julien’s most credited fortes.

In 2005, Julien finally obtained his Bachelor of Science degree. However, the degree alone did not satiate his thirst for additional knowledge. In 2006, Julien enrolled in his postgraduate studies and engaged in research at the Polytechnic University Haus-de-France in Valenciennes, France.

His first job as an engineer was in the furniture industry, at Facotex, where he worked on creating innovative furnishing textiles. Specifically, he was into designing optical fabrics intended for the hotel business. Afterward, Julien gained experience in the health department, where he explored the power of the fusion between technology and medical-purpose textile.

On top of this, Julien reserved a fair portion of his work experience to being a project manager at Up-tech, which enhanced his entrepreneurial skills and taught him the ropes of funding and creating a business.

The Origin of the Innovative Breast Reconstructive Implants

The story of Lattice Medical first began when a close friend of Julien’s and her two daughters got diagnosed with breast cancer. Chemotherapy for all three was sadly insufficient to eradicate the tumors, so the next viable option was mastectomy.

Although all three family members were struck with the same dreadful diagnosis, the reconstruction treatment options were even more limited. At the time, the only reconstruction alternatives they had were silicone implants and - silicone implants.

Despite the number of women requiring breast cancer reconstruction procedures, plastic surgery found itself in deep sleep, ignorant to the demand. As a result, the three patients were all forced to opt for silicone implants, which then put them on the long-dreaded waitlist. Even though the call eventually came, their surgeries were highly unsuccessful and brought about various medical issues and complications.

After seeing his close friends suffer, Julien was triggered to create a more natural and more attainable breast reconstruction solution.

A Match Made in Heaven

One of the first things Julien did to help out his friends was to assemble a team to push his idea forward in the medical world. Finding a suitable team is one thing, but gathering the exact experts you need was a hardship in itself. Luckily, Julien soon got in touch with four individuals who wanted to partake in his project. Pierre - Marrie Danze was a biochemist with abundant experience in scientific counseling.

On the other hand, Pierre Guerreschi worked as a reputable plastic surgeon, whereas Phillipe Marchetti came prepared with tremendous scientific expertise and offered the team quality counseling.

The four founders wasted no time in designing their platform. If given the support, Pierre Guerreschi knew that breast tissue was capable of regeneration and regrowth. In the meantime, the other experts worked on implant materials and immediately considered using and decided to go down the biodegradable route. The reasons why they chose biodegradable materials was due to their ability to dissolve naturally and urge the breast tissue to regrow at the same time.

Despite their medical preparedness, the team still had to learn how to get around the extensive paperwork required to patent their product.

Gaining Traction, Making Money Moves

Lattice Medical was officially in action in 2017, with its headquarters in Loos, France. Primarily, the Lattice Medical team was mostly preoccupied and worried about the cost of their project. Although their idea was innovative, building a biotech company was a daring challenge to tackle. Initially, the team feared they would be unable to impress interested investors with the purpose of their product.

However, once the word was spread among investors, the money began pouring in. As a result, the company earned $2.3 million over a single seed round. Following this seed round, Lattice Medical used the funds to expand their team, rounding it up to 17 employees total. Immediately after the expansion, the company’s team began receiving collaborative offers with a few faculties.

These included the University of Montpellier in France, the California State University, the America Ghent University of Belgium, CHU Lille, and the prestigious University of Oxford. Apart from their academic partners, the company also received a letter for collaboration from Reseau Entreprendre, UP-Tex, and Inserm.

Mattise, the Remarkable Breast Revolution

Lattice Medical finally finished their product, biodegradable implants named Mattise. The Mattise implants work similarly to traditional implants. However, compared to silicone implants, Lattice Medical’s implants boast various specific features. The implants are fully dissolvable a year following the surgery. Thanks to the advanced biodegradable materials technology, breast cancer survivors can now pay greater attention to their recovery and aesthetics.

Among other implant benefits, Matisse implants also encourage the breast tissue to regrow, which spares patients from undergoing various consecutive procedures to obtain the desired effects. Even more, thanks to 3D technology, the implants can be adjusted in shape and size rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, seen in other implants.

Lattice Medical, Today

Since its launch, Lattice Medical has received a handful of awards for its innovative approach. These, alongside the medical and scientific recognition the platform enjoyed, further encouraged its innovators to expand their offering. As of 2021, the company prepares to carry out its medical trial on women, anticipating outstanding results in the field of reconstructive surgery.

Using the best of technology and science, Lattice Medical topped any other medical solution the industry presented before. Even more, it set the bar for quality healthcare high and paid special awareness to one of the most vulnerable and neglected groups of patients. By offering the latest reconstructive survey wonders of today, Lattice Medical puts every breast cancer patient's worries to rest - and finally allows them a sense of normalcy!