Early Stage Companies
Resorbable Bone Graft Scaffold
NovaBone Products has received 510(k) approval for its NovaBone
Porous-Bone Graft Scaffold, a synthetic resorbable bone graft
material used as bone void filler such as in surgically created
osseous defects or defects caused by traumatic injury. The NovaBone
scaffold is an osteoconductive material that is progressively
resorbed during the healing process as it is replaced by new
bone. The product enables filling of bone void for defects other
than in maintaining the bone’s structural integrity. Privately
held NovaBone was founded in 2002.
Interspinous Process Device for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
St. Francis Medical Technologies has introduced its X STOP Interspinous
Process Decompression (IPD) system for treatment of lumbar spinal
stenosis, an often-debilitating condition that predominantly affects
older patients and is characterized by pain in the back and legs.
The X STOP is a titanium alloy implant that is inserted via a small
incision and placed between the two spinous processes abutting
the symptomatic lumbar discs to limit the extension of the lumbar
spine while ensuring that nerves in the spinal canal are not compressed.
The device is not fixed to the vertebrae, which allows the X STOP
to be removed without preempting subsequent procedures, if necessary,
such as a laminectomy. The X STOP received FDA approval in November
2005.
Vascular Access Graft 510(k)
Veryan Medical has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Veryan
SwirlGraft vascular access graft for use in hemodialysis access.
The graft is made of a “helical” expanded PTFE designed
to reduce kinking, facilitate insertion and reduce thrombosis and
outflow stenosis. The company claims that, in clinical trials in
the Netherlands, the SwirlGraft demonstrated “improved patency
and performance compared to conventional ePTFE vascular access
grafts.” Veryan Medical is a 2003 spin-off from Imperial
College (London).
Spinal Spacer Implant
Quantum Orthopedics has introduced its Crystal VBR spinal spacer
implant to be used as a vertebral body replacement (VBR). The
Crystal VBR, made from the PEEK-OPTIMA biomaterial from Invibio,
is radiolucent
but with radiopaque markers that enable positioning. The Crystal
VBR is intended to provide motion preservation as an advantage
over spinal fusion alternatives.
Early Stage Company Financings
| Company |
Amount/Round |
Investors |
Technology |
| Alveolus |
$15M/
Series C |
Ridgeback Capital Management, MDS
Capital, others |
Nonvascular (pulmonary, gastro-intestinal) stenting |
| CardioFocus |
$21.5M/
Series C |
H.I.G. Ventures, KBL Ventures |
Catheter products for treatment of atrial fibrillation |
| Nanosphere |
$57M/
Series D |
Bain Capital Ventures, Brookside Capital, Allen & Company,
Lurie Investments |
Nucleic acid and protein-detection technology for biomarkets
in disease diagnosis and treatment |
| Paradigm Spine |
$14M/
Series C |
Viscogliosi Bros. |
Nonfusion interspinous implant |
| Percutaneous Systems |
$5M/
Series C |
Undisclosed |
Devices to facilitate urologic and endoscopic procedures |
| PhotoThera |
$30.5M/
Series C |
Delphi Ventures, DeNovo Ventures, Hamilton BioVentures, Warburg
Pincus, The Vertical Group, Solstice Capital |
Cold laser for treatment of orthopedic disorders and sports
injuries |
| Proteus Biomedical |
$32.7M/
Series C |
Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, Carlyle Group, Kaiser Permanente
Ventures, Adams Street Partners, Fletcher Spaght Ventures,
Asset Management, Spring Ridge Ventures |
MEMS devices to treat congestive heart failure |
| Uptake Medical |
$9M/
Series A |
Prism Venture Partners, GBS Venture Partners, Onset Ventures,
Affinity Capital
Management, Arboretum Ventures, WRF Capital |
Devices for treatment of emphysema
and other COPD |
| Source: MedMarket Diligence, LLC |
Links:
Alveolus (Charlotte, NC; http://alveolus.com)
CardioFocus (Norton, MA; http://cardiofocus.com)
Invibio (Lancashire, U.K.; http://www.invibio.com)
Nanosphere (Northbrook, IL; http://nanosphere.us)
NovaBone Products (Alachua, FL; http://novabone.com)
Paradigm Spine (New York, NY; http://paradigmspine.com)
Percutaneous Systems (Mountain View, CA; http://percsys.com)
PhotoThera (San Diego, CA; http://photothera.com)
Proteus Biomedical (Redwood City, CA; http://proteus.bz)
Quantum Orthopedics (Evergreen, CO; http://quantumorthopedics.com)
St. Francis Medical Technologies (Alameda, CA; http://sfmt.com)
Uptake Medical (Seattle, WA; http://uptakemedical.com)
Veryan Medical (Horsham, U.K.; http://veryanmed.com)
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