Dr. Melissa Krebs (Ph.D. '10), founder and CEO of GelSana Therapeutics, is driving transformative innovation in the $78 billion wound care market. Her company, based in Aurora, Colorado, is developing novel hydrogel materials that promote faster healing for chronic wounds by reducing inflammation and delivering sustained therapeutics. What began as a promising academic discovery has evolved into a venture-backed startup, supported in part by the CWRU Alumni Venture Fund (AVF), with its first product, Cleragel™, poised for market launch in 2025.
What inspired you to start GelSana Therapeutics, and how did your background influence its mission?
I’ve always been passionate about biomedical engineering and creating technologies that improve patient care. My research focused on cell-interactive materials and drug delivery, particularly for inflamed chronic wounds. After seeing remarkable healing results in animal studies using anti-inflammatory polymers we developed, I realized this technology could make a real-world impact. About four years ago, we founded GelSana to bring it from the lab to patients.
How did your time at Case Western Reserve shape your entrepreneurial journey?
CWRU is where I first immersed myself in biomaterials and clinical applications. My Ph.D. work there laid the foundation for everything I’ve done since. It gave me both the technical knowledge and the spark to pursue translational research.
What has the transition from academia to entrepreneurship been like?
It’s definitely been a learning curve. Shifting from a purely scientific mindset to a business perspective required understanding how to scale manufacturing, navigate FDA regulations, and attract investors. Accelerator programs were instrumental in teaching me what early-stage companies need to succeed and how to build a team to fill in the gaps I couldn’t cover alone.
How did your partnership with CWRU AVF come about?
I found out about CWRU AVF while searching for funding opportunities for alumni-founded startups. Applying and working with them has been a great experience not only for the funding, but also for staying connected to CWRU. Their support has helped propel GelSana forward.
What’s been the biggest challenge in growing GelSana?
The biggest challenge is keeping the long-term vision in mind while navigating daily hurdles. Running a lean startup means wearing many hats, which can be exhausting. But remembering why we started, which is to solve a critical healthcare problem, keeps us going.
How has GelSana’s mission evolved?
We started focusing on chronic wounds, but over time we’ve seen our materials could have broader applications, including in burn care and military medicine. While it’s exciting to see potential in other areas, we’ve had to stay disciplined and prioritize getting our first product to market.
What are some recent achievements, and what’s next?
We’ve raised $5.5 million, half from investors and half from non-dilutive grants, including support from the NIH, State of Colorado, and the Air Force's AFWERX program. We’ve also scaled up our manufacturing, made key hires, and brought on strategic advisors. Now, we’re preparing for a Series A round and the 2025 launch of Cleragel™, which will mark our first human clinical use.
Where do you envision GelSana in 5–10 years?
Our goal is to grow GelSana to the point of being an attractive acquisition for a larger wound care company. We want to develop a product line around our core technology and see it used widely in clinical settings, improving outcomes for patients with difficult-to-heal wounds.
If you could go back to the beginning, what would you do differently?
While I wouldn’t change anything major, I underestimated the complexity of scaling manufacturing. If I could do it again, I’d focus more on understanding production challenges early on. But I believe in learning as you go as mistakes are part of growth.
What advice would you give to aspiring biotech entrepreneurs, especially from CWRU?
Do your best at whatever you’re doing now and stay open to where opportunities take you. Careers aren’t linear. Don’t be afraid to take risks or make unconventional choices. Enjoy the process, and trust that your path will make sense in hindsight.
GelSana Therapeutics is one of the CWRU-founded ventures in the CWRU Alumni Venture Fund portfolio.
This article was written by CWRU Alumni Venture Fund Fellow Brady Bartusiak, class of 2026.