Symbiosis, the developer of an adjustable transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) system—Valsync—has been chosen as the recipient of the Shark Tank innovation prize at the 2024 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference (27–30 October, Washington, DC, USA).
The Valysnc system comprises two highly compliant balloons, made of a flexible deformable material that can expand to fit the surrounding valve anatomy. The system is designed to be delivered transeptally, with an atrial balloon expanded and lowered onto supra-annular plane of the mitral valve. Afterwards a second balloon is secured in the ventricle, held in place by a series of barbs or arms.
The conformable design makes the device adaptable to unique valve shapes, Symbiosis says, and the balloons can be inflated or deflated based on real-time echo Doppler feedback to optimise the sealing effect and ensure proper alignment.
Symbiosis founder and CEO Shira Burg, a qualified veterinary doctor, with a PhD in cardiac electrophysiology, presented the Valsync system at TCT.
Presently Symbiosis is launching a chronic animal study using the device, and upon success anticipates a first-in-human trial to commence around late 2026. Though the valve is being tested in mitral applications, it could also be used to treat tricuspid valve disease.
Symbiosis has recently been bolstered by the addition of Stanton Rowe, the former chief scientific officer at Edwards Lifesciences, who was instrumental in the commercialisation of the first transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) systems, to its advisory board.
Other finalists in the 2024 Shark Tank competition included AMX Technologies, which was named as the runner up for its clip removal procedure for the removal of failed transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). Paul Sorajja (Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, USA), who is the founder and chief medical officer of the company presented details of the system.
The TCT Shark Tank Innovation Competition is delivered through a partnership with the Jon DeHaan Foundation, with the winning entry receiving a US$200,000 award. The competition aims to identify and showcase groundbreaking concepts in modern cardiovascular medicine.
