Hydrumedical and the EIC Accelerator: A Stent That Dissolves

Hydrumedical, a company in Guimarães, Portugal, has developed Hydrustent, a ureteral stent made of a hydrogel that is 94% water, placed after kidney stone treatment to keep urine flowing and designed to dissolve in the urine within seven to ten days, so no second procedure is needed to remove it. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off with blended finance and received an EU grant of €1.52 million for a €2.23 million project that ran from December 2023 to November 2025, according to CORDIS. The objective claimed the stent could cut treatment costs by up to 60%.

The final report says Hydrumedical built and validated an ISO Class 7 cleanroom for clinical-grade production, and that a GLP animal study found a favourable safety profile with complete degradation and no obstructive fragments, performing like a conventional soft stent, according to the CORDIS reporting page. The human study was approved and started, but "six patients have been enrolled", and the report concedes that "clinical approval delays prevented completion of all milestones". The study, which plans 134 patients at four Portuguese hospitals, began in September 2025 and is due for primary completion at the end of 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where Hydrumedical Stands Now

The Hydrustent study was still recruiting at its last registry update in April 2026. Hydrumedical has an agreement with the notified body PCBC for CE certification of the device, which is class III, the highest risk category, and is working with Sobel on a future filing in Brazil, the report says. Its website presents a wider medical device business, with sports medicine and orthobiologic products and a urology section. Revenue, staff numbers and whether the EIC Fund invested are not public.

The Technology: A Soft Stent That Washes Away

Conventional ureteral stents are stiff plastic tubes. The company says about 80% of patients report pain or blood in the urine, more than half of stents encrust within six to twelve weeks, and 13% are forgotten, which can lead to kidney damage. Removal costs about €900 per patient in the EU. Hydrustent is soft and lubricated, which the company says limits bacterial adhesion, and it is meant for the 94% of patients who need a stent for ten days or less.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award aimed to validate manufacturing, complete preclinical testing and run a clinical investigation towards CE marking. Manufacturing and animal testing were done. The clinical investigation started in the final quarter of the project and had enrolled a small fraction of its patients. Interim data showed no device-related serious adverse events, the report says.

1. Clinical-grade productionDeliveredCleanroom validated.
2. GLP animal studyDeliveredFavourable safety.
3. Clinical investigationStarted6 of 134 enrolled.
4. CE certificationNot yetNeeds clinical data.

The Money

The EU paid 68% of the project. No private funding round has been announced. The clinical study must finish before a CE application can be completed, which means more spending before any Hydrustent revenue.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Conventional stents placed after kidney stone treatment must later be removed, at about €900 a patient in the EU, the company says. A stent that dissolves would save procedures, costs and complications. Hydrumedical has taken its hydrogel to a clinical study; the evidence the EU needs to approve it is still being collected.

The Verdict

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