Relief Cardiovascular has announced the closing of a US$12 million series A financing.
The funding round was co-led by Broadview Ventures and Advent Life Sciences, with participation from Pacific Health Investment, Heartwork Capital, and an undisclosed multinational strategic.
The funds will support further product development and the initiation of the company’s first-in-human feasibility study, designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Relief system—a transcatheter smart implant designed to monitor and modulate renal vein pressures, offering a novel approach to fluid management in heart failure.
As part of the financing, Shahzad Malik, general partner at Advent Life Sciences, and Maria Berkman, head of medtech at Broadview Ventures, will join the company’s board of directors.
“Heart failure continues to impose a tremendous burden on patients and healthcare systems,” said Berkman. “The Relief system addresses a critical gap in patient care, and we are proud to partner with the team at Relief Cardiovascular to advance this novel therapy into the clinic.”
“Relief Cardiovascular’s innovative approach to volume management tackles the unmet needs of diuretic-resistant heart failure,” said Malik. “The Relief system’s ability to dynamically modulate renal vein pressures offers the potential to redefine treatment and improve outcomes for patients facing limited options.”
The Relief system employs a transcatheter implant to reduce renal vein pressure using an innovative “puller” mechanism, paired with integrated sensors that autonomously capture renal vein pressures and multiparametric data. The system provides physicians with actionable data for optimising fluid management and offers tailored therapeutic device-driven intervention.
“The Relief system’s ability to integrate monitoring and therapeutic modulation of renal pressures represents a promising advance in volume management in heart failure,” said William T Abraham, professor of medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus, USA).
Alex Rothman, professor of cardiology at the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, UK), added: “By enabling data-driven adjustments, the Relief system empowers more personalised and effective care for patients, particularly those with diuretic resistance.”
“This financing marks a pivotal milestone for us as we advance the Relief system into human clinical studies,” said Alex Cooper, CEO of Relief Cardiovascular. “We’re honoured to have the support of world-class investors and clinicians, along with industry veterans like Michael Minogue. With Shahzad and Maria joining our board, our team is positioned to transform the management and treatment of heart failure.”
