Valtech Cardio has agreed to be acquired by Edwards Lifesciences. The acquisition will give Edwards access to Valtech’s Cardioband reconstruction system (Cardioband) for transcatheter repair of the mitral and tricuspid valves. The device, which received the CE mark last year, is designed to allow physicians to repair the mitral valve in a first-line setting while preserving the option to perform future percutaneous or surgical valve repair and/or replacement.
A press release explains that Cardioband combines a reconstruction implant—similar to surgical annuloplasty devices—with a transcatheter transseptal delivery system. Connection of the implant to the mitral annulus is sutureless, using specially designed anchors. Reshaping of the mitral annulus to eliminate functional mitral regurgitation is done under physiological conditions and echocardiographic guidance for optimal results. Additionally, the Cardioband tricuspid regurgitation (TR) system is designed to enable physicians to reconstruct the tricuspid valve using the same technique and implant as the Cardioband mitral valve repair technology. Valtech is recruiting patients for its CE study of Cardioband TR in Europe.
Amir Gross, founder and chief executive officer of Valtech, says: “We are pleased that Edwards, a global leader in patient focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, has elected to include in its growing portfolio of transcatheter based therapies, the Cardioband system for both mitral and tricuspid valve repair. We believe this will position Cardioband to achieve its full potential as a fundamental breakthrough in the way patients are treated for both mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. On behalf of the entire Valtech organisation, I want to thank the many physicians who supported us over the past ten years in the development of the Cardioband platform.”
Prior to the closing, Valtech will spin out its early stage Cardiovalve programme, and as part of the agreement, Edwards will retain an option to acquire the Cardiovalve programme at a later date. Cardiovalve is a transcatheter, transseptally delivered, low-profile, mitral valve implantation (TMVI) system following the Valtech way of delivering surgical based solutions without the risk of surgery. The Cardiovalve platform has an orientation-indifferent structure for reduced implant complexity and was designed from inception to enable transseptal delivery.
